


The Moon and the Wolves

by the_Min_Dragon



Category: Mamamoo, 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: Alpha Jeon Jungkook, Alpha Kim Namjoon | RM, Alpha Kim Taehyung | V, Alpha Min Yoongi | Suga, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Beta Park Jimin (BTS), Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, Implied/Referenced Abortion, Jung Hoseok | J-Hope-centric, Kim Taehyung | V & Park Jimin are Best Friends, M/M, Non-Traditional Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, OT7, Omega Jung Hoseok | J-Hope, Omega Kim Seokjin | Jin, Past Kim Seokjin | Jin/Min Yoongi | Suga
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-15
Updated: 2020-08-14
Packaged: 2021-02-27 08:46:41
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 24,205
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22264324
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_Min_Dragon/pseuds/the_Min_Dragon
Summary: Hoseok and Namjoon were inseparable from the time they could remember, soulmates and best friends. When he became the valley pack's omega leader, Namjoon stood with him as the pack's healer. The mates were known across packs for their relationship.Then a certain cold and stubborn alpha, Min Yoongi and his mountain wolves came knocking on Hoseok’s pack doors and he unknowingly opened.Everything in his life, from his position as a leader to his mate will be threatened.Min Yoongi has lost everything while winning all the Northern pack wars, he thought he had nothing to lose.He will have to teach himself to stop breathing around the valley wolves’ omega leader or he’ll go crazy from the scent of mulled wine.
Relationships: Ahn Hyejin | Hwasa/Jung Wheein, Jeon Jungkook & Park Jimin, Jeon Jungkook/Park Jimin, Jung Hoseok | J-Hope/Kim Namjoon | RM, Kim Seokjin | Jin/Kim Taehyung | V, Kim Taehyung | V/Park Jimin, Kim Yongsun | Solar/Moon Byulyi | Moonbyul
Comments: 53
Kudos: 99





	1. Apple Trees

Taehyung and Jimin are comfortably perched on their big apple tree. It overlooks the entire valley which belongs to their rather large pack. The valley extended a long way between the twin snow-capped mountains of the North and the silted banks of the river in the South, matted entirely in green. A few trees dotted the valley, most of which bore fruit for the pack. To the west of the valley was the Mulberry woods, which too belonged to the Valley wolves. 

Today, Taehyung and Jimin were not just on one of their usual biweekly food-gathering trips that they made into Mulberry or into the valley. When they left pack grounds at dawn, Hoseok had met them by the gate with the last instructions on receiving the hostile guests the pack will be welcoming today. 

Jimin is leisurely swinging from branch to branch above Taehyung, who has his back against the trunk, his eyes closed. The apple tree has always been their spot. Jimin, after the early loss of his parents, had taken to providing for the pack in the little ways he could. The first time he set out of the pack boundaries to gather, he was barely 13. The other pack members had protested for his safety, Jimin being an unprotected beta in the face of the scary wild. But then Taehyung stepped up to accompany him. 

The influential roles Taehyung’s parents played in the pack coupled with his alpha status silenced the objections naturally. And thus Taehyung became Jimin’s protector. Many had assumed that Taehyung stepped up instinctually to show dominance as an alpha, but it was simply because he couldn’t go a few hours without his best friend. Ironically at the time, Taehyung was nearly a foot smaller than Jimin, his puberty having boarded a late train. Some pack members remember the first time Taehyung and Jimin stepped out to gather, and Jimin had looked more like a protective alpha than the smaller, slender-bodied Taehyung. Over the years the pack has closely watched the boys grow up together, silently implying that they might be sharing a true bond. 

Today, 9 years later they are the best gatherers and second to the best hunters in the pack. Their biweekly gathering trips are allotted a whole day, but they barely need 2 hours to fill their sacks with all sorts of edible fruits, roots and mushrooms. The rest of the day they spent lazing around the apple tree in the last of the summer sun. This particular detail, the whole pack back home needn’t know. But like every other secret pack boundaries, Hoseok knew. Taehyung and Jimin doesn't mind a double duty day, but the anxious wait today was taking a toll on them.

Tae re-adjusts himself against the trunk to hide from the sun under the shadows of the leaves. His stomach is full with freshly-picked apples, and he is pleasantly warm under the shade. If he was not sitting high up in a tree, he would have napped by now. He cracks open a lazy eye to look at Jimin, who is hanging on a branch higher up to see that the beta is still, his eyes staring blankly at the horizon. The pink-haired wolf seems to be lost in thought and Taehyung cannot help but smile at him affectionately. He is secretly thankful for Jimin’s presence here, welcoming strange guests was never one of Taehyung’s strengths. After all, Namjoon was the smart, social one. 

Taehyung too turns to the horizon, allowing his wolf out for a split-second, his eyes bleeding yellow and sharpening his senses. He spies nothing unusual, only the vast greenery. He rubs his hands over his eyes impatiently, wondering where the damned mountain wolves are. 

‘Wasn't Namjoon against this invitation?’ Jimin suddenly asks slightly startling Taehyung out of his reverie. The beta starts climbing down from the branch he was swinging on, towards Taehyung. On his way down, he finds an unripe apple. He holds it in his hand, curiously looking at it, cocking his head to the side. Taehyung keenly observes him. Jimin, very visibly, decides against plucking the apple. He kisses its green skin and continues climbing down, a small smile on his face. These are one of those moments when Taehyung can’t help but wonder whether Jimin would have made a fine forest nymph. Taehyung waits for Jimin to sit across him before he starts answering his question. 

‘Of course he did. But as usual Hoseok had a killer counter.’ Taehyung shrugs matter-of-factly continuing the conversation that had cooled into a comfortable silence only a few minutes ago. ‘The mountain wolves have confirmed that they have an omega healer from The Beyond. Our medicines are primitive in comparison to what they can do there’ Jimin’s eyes follow Taehyung’s lips as they utter every word. He had missed last night’s pack meeting. Namjoon had asked Jimin to stand-in for him at the infirmary. A young alpha was going through her first rut and someone responsible had to be around to keep her from turning too feral. Jimin had heard that the modern wolves from The Beyond in collaboration with the humans have made new medicine to help with ruts and heats. Taehyung tapped Jimin on the shoulder, bringing his attention back to Taehyung’s lips. ‘I know what you’re thinking. It is true, they do have those rumoured human ‘drugs’’

Tracing Taehyung’s lips compensated for where Jimin’s ears failed him. He was born partially deaf. But the keen interest Jimin took in his fellow wolves pushed him to learn reading others’ lips with such a baffling precision. Taehyung keeps telling him that he is better at it than one of the human spies in that movie they saw. One of the only times Jimin had ever felt a little deaf-sided was when Taehyung had excitedly brought a  _ music _ CD from the City to play in the old stereo that belonged to Taehyung and Namjoon’s late father. After spying Jimin’s hiding tears behind his hut, Taehyung had banned music CDs in his family’s home.

In the present, Jimin belatedly nods to Taehyung’s words. They sit there silently for a minute brooding over the possibilities of medicines reducing the intensity of ruts and heats. Taehyung’s eyes turn to the horizon, while Jimin gets lost in thought again.

‘So these medicines they have, how do they help with the ruts and heats?’ Jimin asks carefully, trying not to jumble his words. 

‘I don’t know about the ‘how’ a lot, but Joon said they can mask your scents well’ Tae replies, closing his eyes and leaning back on the trunk again. Jimin sees the tension in the alpha’s jaw and understands that Taehyung is trying his best to not show his impatience at having to wait this long. 

‘Even omega scents?’ Jimin asks, trying to keep him occupied, his own wonder at such a prospect leaking into his words.  _ This could change everything, all the young omegas will be free to hunt in the woods without alphas lurking around.  _ Among the three secondary genders, Omega scents were the strongest, and therefore the hardest to mask. Even though the valley wolves called the Mulberry Woods their land, they were not the only claimers to it. 

Omega scents were known to invite unwanted trouble from wolves and other wild animals. The biological flip side is that an alpha with a strong nose will be able to trace a lost or injured omega through any wilderness. But the strong omega scent attracts one too many nomad wolves who go feral and hurt innocent omegas who were out to hunt. After innumerable similar incidents, most packs do not let their omegas hunt, but Valley wolves function differently. Hunting makes a wolf healthier, and hones their skills and senses. That includes omegas. So the valley wolves crushes a combination of berries and flowers, ferments it to create a stinking juice and rubs it on their scent glands. They hunt as a team of alphas, betas and omegas. Each faction of the secondary gender brings their best natural senses to the wild and the valley wolves never return without a large prey. 

But in the last few years, their stinky fermented juice hasn’t been doing its job very well. They still worked well on not warning probable prey, but the number of nomadic feral alphas who have stalked the valley omegas back to pack grounds have multiplied, so have incidents of violence. This has further led to inter-pack tensions with their neighbours beyond the Mulberry too. The tension boiled down to the valley pack’s alphas openly showing disapproval when omegas (and weak-looking betas) stepped out to hunt. When Hoseok assumed power as the pack’s leader, he had actively worked towards changing this disapproval. This had been the reason why he had approved to let the hostile wolves into pack grounds. These ‘drugs’ could change everything. 

‘Yes, even Omega scents’ Taehyung replies, the impatience slowly turning into anxiousness solidifying in the set of his shoulders. Jimin spies this change but says nothing about it.

‘Wow’ is Jimin’s only answer. 

A few more minutes pass between both of them, Jimin nudges the alpha repeatedly trying to relieve his tension but only extracting a low whine. 

‘How many years has it been since we’ve had contact with them?’ Jimin questions Taehyung again. The alpha takes a full minute before opening his eyes to look at Jimin. 

‘Hoseok said 25 but Joon says it is more than 30 according to the old books in the infirmary’ Taehyung replies, extending his hand towards Jimin in invitation. The beta knows the gesture a little too well. Taehyung craves touch when he is tense, when the anxiety gets to him. 

Jimin slowly crawls across the length of the branch towards Taehyung, playing hard to get, suddenly playful. He makes grotesque facial expressions, trying to imitate a bug while holding his hands to his face and contorting his expression. This elicits a stray giggle easily from the green-haired alpha. Knowing that his attempt at cheering up his best wolf has worked at least a little, he seamlessly lifts himself into Taehyung’s lap. They fit like two pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. As soon as Jimin bares his neck to Taehyung, the alpha rubs his nose urgently into beta’s scent-gland. Betas have the faintest scents among wolves and are therefore the hardest to trace, but Taehyung never had trouble fetching Jimin’s candied apples out of any haggle of wolf scents. Taehyung’s body relaxes under Jimin as he lets out a long sigh. 

When Jimin thinks the alpha had enough down time rubbing his nose into his neck, he starts questioning him again. ‘That’s a long time. Why haven’t they contacted us before? Why now?’ Jimin pushes Taehyung’s head out of the crook of his neck, to see the alpha’s lips again. Taehyung pouts trying to charm Jimin into letting him off from the conversation, but he holds the alpha by the shoulders, trying to squeeze out the answers from him. ‘And did something happen all those years ago for them to cut ties?’ Jimin asks. 

‘Well, apparently the alpha of the mountain wolves liked Hoseok’s mom, but she was mated to Hoseok’s dad already. They fought, the mountain alpha lost, and was humiliated. War nearly broke out, but Hoseok’s mom solved it’ Tae recites quickly, leaning in towards Jimin’s neck only to get stopped again. Defeated, he takes to running his hand through Jimin’s bubble-gum pink hair. The colour had come out nicer than Taehyung had expected. When Namjoon was in the city for some books, Taehyung had accompanied him and bought Jimin hair-dye. Later that evening Jimin and Taehyung had nearly destroyed Hoseok’s little en-suite bathroom with bleach and colours-of-the-rainbow hair-dye. To match Jimin’s pink, Taehyung had coloured his hair green and now Namjoon was calling them the watermelon sisters. 

‘Wow. Hoseok’s mom was awesome even then?’ Jimin asks distractedly while remembering the wise white haired omega who had led their pack for nearly 30 years before retiring to go to the rainforests with her alpha. She had stood by Jimin when he had stated that he would like to go out and bring food in for the pack after his parents passed away from the fur-eater epidemic. He sits reminiscing about the woman who was a role model to him for a moment, but then remembers the conversation at hand. ‘But how come they sent out an invitation to us if we humiliated them?’ Jimin questions again, his pronunciation a little mangled on the big words. 

‘Interesting question’ Taehyung ruefully replies, rubbing circles into the sweet spot where Jimin’s head ends and neck begins. ‘Namjoon had asked the same actually. For one, Hoseok thinks the pack’s alpha has changed after all the wars they’ve had out there and two, they don’t have food to last them through the winter after the wars, which means that they need help’ 

‘Wow. How did Hoseok come to all this from one letter?’ Jimin says in awe of the omega who had taken up pack leader duties after his mother retired just the previous year. Hoseok likened his father physically, but in behaviour he was always like his mother: a true leader, cold and calculating, and soft and loving, alternatively but at the right times. ‘It doesn’t even show that he is new at this’ Jimin’s voice rises an octave higher from the Taehyung’s ministrations on his neck. 

‘He’s always been good at playing leader, it doesn’t even feel different now that he is pack’s Omega’ Taehyung tells Jimin matter-of-factly before leaning in to leave kisses on Jimin scent gland, making the beta giggle a little.


	2. The Mountain Wolves

The sun is nearly setting by the time the mountain wolves make an appearance. Jimin notices them first and nudges Taehyung into opening his eyes. The white wolves emerge one after the other from the horizon, slowly drawing a line of white. Jimin notices how the 12 wolves follow the old order of migration. The old, weaker ones tread ahead setting the pace of the party, followed by the larger guard alphas, the treasured omegas and betas form the midsection and, the pack’s leader alpha defends the rear. Jimin has only seen this particular order in the old pictured books Namjoon hoards in the pack’s infirmary. When he had curiously asked why the other packs that regularly visited the valley wolves did not follow this order, Namjoon had replied that it fell out of trend among the packs around them over the years, that only the wolves which follow the ancient rules follow these particular traditions and orders.

Taehyung sat in silence at the sight of the approaching white wolves. He was baffled by their sizes. They were larger than most of the wolves Taehyung had seen in his life. He has visited many packs and received many guests as part of the role he held in the valley pack, but he has never seen wolves nearly as big as this. Except Hoseok of course. But he was their pack’s omega and the leaders of the pack are always larger than the rest of the wolves, some biological thing Taehyung didn’t really understand. 

He turns to Jimin momentarily, the coiling tension showing in his eyes. Jimin reassuringly pats him on his shoulder but it doesn’t help the feeling of unease which Taehyung feels at the pit of his stomach. No matter how many times he has welcomed a new pack’s entourage, no matter how many meetings he has accompanied Hoseok to, the anxiety he feels right before he meets a new pack never simmers, never dies. 

Taehyung is from the family of Kims who has been advisors to the Valley wolves’ leaders from the beginning of the pack. Taehyung being the second pup of the family was expected to actively take part in all of the pack’s workings. Welcoming the visitors of the pack and accompanying the pack’s omega to all meetings with other packs, the second born of the Kim family is the foreign ambassador of the Valley wolves. All in all, Taehyung did not choose his job, his family line did. 

The ambassador’s work in most packs were done by the strongest alphas and Taehyung has never been the textbook definition of an alpha to begin with. He was too playful, his figure too slender, his apple wood musk too fruity. This had never mattered among his own pack members, but it did among the visiting wolves. The easy way out was to let Namjoon do it. But the one month Namjoon tried, Taehyung had observed his older brother tiredly dragging his feet everywhere when he thought Taehyhung was not looking his way. He was already the pack’s head healer, Namjoon would be barely able to sleep with ambassador duties too. 

Taehyung knew he had to buck up, atleast for the sake of his poor brother. Through the years he had worked hard at finding the right combination of alpha to execute his job well. Jimin stood by him every step of the way. The beta had helped him build the confidence he has in himself now, but the process of becoming that dominant posturing alpha is never easy. Taehyung hates feeling this wound-up. 

The alpha climbs down from the tree when the mountain wolves are halfway to their apple tree. He lands haphazardly, limbs flailing, beside Jimin’s cat-like fall.  _ Forest-nymph Jimin _ Taehyung thinks, a small smile hiding at the upward turn of his lips as he walks towards the clearing of the valley which extends before the tree. Jimin as expected stays under the tree’s shade. 

When the running wolves are less than twenty meters away, Taehyung forcibly pushes his panic down, readying himself for the task at hand. Jimin observes as Taehyung’s shoulder widens and his posture straightens. Hoseok had told Jimin how the alpha’s voice turns deeper when he speaks before unfamiliar wolves. This is a transformation Taehyung undergoes, and Jimin watches, every time they expect entourages from other packs. Taehyung’s alpha shows the most at these moments and it leaves Jimin in equal wonder and fear, of how much of a shift it is in his best friend’s character, almost to a point he doesn’t recognise the alpha before him. 

The running wolves eventually slow to a stop a mere ten meters away from where Taehyung stands. For a second Taehyung is confused as to why the air smells so unnaturally empty with a dozen wolves around. He even wonders whether his own nose is clogged. Then it hits him. These wolves standing before him have no scent at all. Instead of masking and overlaying with another scent, they have managed to make their respective scents vanish altogether. Taehyung tries to work through this idea mentally, schooling his facial expressions to not give his wonder away as it will only work against his pack’s favour in negotiations. 

Before Taehyung can ponder on this further, the large vicious creature at the back of the line starts strutting towards him. Taehyung knows from the wolf’s gait that this is the pack’s alpha and leader. The wolf’s teeth are challengingly bared, the confidence in its fierce expression lethal. It has the fairest fur of them all, with absolutely no spots anywhere on its body. Taehyung belatedly notices the unusually familiar black crescent on its forehead, right between its icy blue eyes. He shockingly realises that up close the wolf is larger than Hoseok.

Taehyung stands his ground firmly waiting for the other alpha to approach him. His palms are sweaty, but Taehyung refuses to rub them dry on his cotton pants. The other alpha tracks his every movement, even Taehyung’s eyes darting, without making another step away from his entourage. The air runs stale with tension. Taehyung nearly scowling because the other alpha is clearly refusing to shift and greet him. 

Jimin observes Taehyung as he stands before the alpha with his spine straight and head held high. When the alpha doesn’t change form to greet Taehyung, Jimin feels something might be wrong. He racks his brain to find the problem here, to see a solution.

Taehyung, complying with common pack tradition, had met their guests in his human form. This was the etiquette packs followed while receiving guests. It was to extend a hand of trust to the visiting pack, by not being in the wolf form, as it is naturally seen as aggressive and challenging. The other pack alpha is  _ supposed _ to change to human form and accept Taehyung’s hospitality. All Taehyung can do now is to wait for the other alpha to make the call. 

Jimin tries to rack his brain hard to remember what else he had read in that book in the infirmary.  _ There was something about first meetings by the ancient order.  _ Jimin thinks. Without making any sudden movements which will attract attention to him, Jimin rubs his hands into his eyes.  _ Oh, what was it?  _ He then remembers the picture of a black and a white picture of a wolf meeting another in peace.  _ Alpha-alpha  _ Jimin’s brain provides, finally figuring the little riddle before him out.  _ When a pack welcomes another, the alphas of the pack are to scent mark one another as a show of respect and trust.  _

Jimin will have to talk to Taehyung. But the tension in the valley is peaking, the two alphas challengingly keeping eye-contact, Taehyung’s scent is souring too.  _ This cannot end well _ But then the other alpha huffs and turns to a white wolf with brown speckles around its paws and maw standing to its right. Jimin makes the decision to slowly walk towards Taehyung. When he takes the first step all the heads in the valley, wolf and man alike, turns towards him. Jimin momentarily freezes mid-step but breathes out and continues walking towards Taehyung. The green-haired alpha turns sideways, not trusting the mountain wolves enough to turn his back on them, thus lending only his ears to Jimin. 

‘Tae, I think their alpha is waiting for our alpha’ Jimin whispers into Taehyung’s ear, knowing absolutely well that secrecy is futile. The honed senses of the wolves in the valley allows them to hear his voice at this short range, despite him whispering. 

‘Our alpha?’ Taehyung asks back, turning to him an inch more, giving Jimin a better view of his face. He looks absolutely puzzled and Jimin realises how well accustomed the valley wolves are to the idea of an omega leader. 

‘Our leader, Tae. The ancient orders, that’s what they follow’ Jimin replies, slightly turning his head towards the wolves watching them carefully. The mountain alpha hastily turns to the wolf on his right again when it spies Jimin’s eyes on it, pushing his muzzle into the other wolf’s shoulder roughly. 

‘So?’ Taehyung asks, irritation leaking into his voice at Jimin’s confirmation that the wolves before him follow a different etiquette. He knows he should be dealing with this calmly, but the unapologetic stance that the mountain wolves have taken does little to calm him. ‘We don’t follow the ancient order’ he then turns to the alpha to see a boy where the second wolf on it’s right stood, Taehyung squints at this new guy suspiciously. 

‘Tae, list-‘Jimin sees the same and freezes at the sight of the transformed boy who stands naked before them.  _ Lord, is this Adonis? _

He is muscular enough to be a man, but his face gives his age away. The dark longish hair which falls on his aspect bounces as he pulls his pants up his legs.  _ Well-endowed  _ is a phrase which floats around Jimin’s head. The boy, Jimin notices is full of paradoxes. The facial features are individually sharp but collectively cute. His doe-eyes are soft yet cunning with how they go searching for something from Jimin’s to Taehyung’s face. Jimin can’t help be reminded of the pups back at his pack, but also of predators he runs from in the Mulberry Woods. The boy has scrunched up his entire face to fake a seriousness which can be deemed apt for their current situation, but not for his face. Jimin cant help but throw his most charming smile at him and it lands like a stone hauled at a pond, entirely ruffling the boy’s schooled expression.

Taehyung taps Jimin lightly bringing his attention back to the situation at hand. ‘I’ll deal with it’ Taehyung tells Jimin, nodding his head reassuringly. A slow breeze bristles through his hair as Jimin steps away to stand by his side. Jimin notices the pungent alpha scent that breeze brings, Taehyung in his dominant headspace is not nearly as open to suggestions as he is otherwise. 

The mountain alpha then settles down, sitting on his back legs. Jimin immediately recognises the significance of this gesture. It is disrespectful to sit before greeting another pack’s leader. But if one goes by tallying scores, Jimin knows this is a payback for their leader’s absence while welcoming the visiting pack. The boy on seeing his alpha settling down, walks forward towards Taehyung 

‘Our Alpha wants to know where yours is?’ the boy asks Taehyung, his tone annoyingly demanding. 

Taehyung bristles, his chest puffing out more, yet voice is calm while he speaks. ‘My apologies, our traditions seem to be different from yours’ he replies in the deep baritone he reserves for these meetings. Jimin notices the differences between the two alphas, where the other boy stands in an aggressive stance, his shoulders slightly vibrating with an effort to keep his wolf in, Taehyung is reserved, face and body placid. Jimin knows the practice it took his closest friend. ‘Let me introduce myself, I am Kim Taehyung, brother-in-law to the pack’s leader and one among his advisors. This is Park Jimin, my trusted friend. We are here to welcome the mountain wolves on behalf of the Valley wolves. Let us lead you to our pack grounds’ Taehyung bows to the alpha and then to the boy. 

The boy startles when Taehyung bows but regains his composure quickly before the green-haired alpha straightens. Only Jimin sees his reaction. The other mountain wolves too seem to be taken aback by the submissive gesture. The boy turns back to his alpha for a second before squaring his shoulders again and looking Taehyung in the eye.

‘Urm…’ the boy gulps ‘My name is Jeon Jungkook’ the boy’s unsteady tone clearly states that this is not the way the mountain wolves usually do things. ‘I am-‘ he looks back at his alpha quickly again, before turning to Taehyung, re-arranging his stance and trying to look more confident. ‘I am the alpha’s right-hand’ he finishes, almost childishly proud. Jimin holds back a giggle in seeing the boy’s pouting lips. 

‘My pack is thankful for this invitation to a meeting and you making the journey here. We hope the negotiations for a peace treaty will be fruitful to both sides’ Taehyung smoothly replies with practiced expertise. Jimin cannot help but admire how sure Taehyung is of himself in these moments. The beta’s memory cuts to an image of a fifteen-year old Taehyung bitterly crying at his own incapabilities behind the orange tree near Hoseok’s house. He slightly shakes his head to rid himself of the painful image. 

The boy, Jeon, looks at his alpha again and some silent communication passes between the pair. Meanwhile Taehyung runs his eyes through the rest of the wolves. They all have a white coat except for one. There isn’t a huge difference, but one of the smaller wolves has a grey coat. The wolf he noticed turns its head away from the mountain alpha towards him and their eyes meet. The white eyes curiously run over Taehyung’s body, the green-haired alpha doesnt look away immediately. But then Jeon turns to him again and Taehyung is forced to look away. That wolf, he realises, was not born of the mountain wolves,  _ Is that the omega from Beyond? _

‘Our alpha doesn’t like your plans. Yours hasn’t even come to greet us and we do not trust you enough to come to your pack grounds.’ Jeon replies to Taehyung’s plans. 

_ Doesn’t like my plans? What are they, 5? How untrusting can they be to come down all this way here and not come to our pack grounds?  _ Taehyung’s head buzzes with angry thoughts but nothing shows on his blank face. He lets Jeon’s words hang in the air for a full minute before replying louder than before. ‘By the treaties of our land we never attack wolves who seek to meet our leader. You will be safe inside our pack boundaries, safer than you are out here’ Taehyung replies, his firm voice leaking none of his annoyance. The boy huffs. Taehyung turns to the mountain pack’s alpha and speaks to him directly. ‘Do you see the trees there?’ Taehyung asks, pointing towards the Mulberry woods. ‘We call it Mulberry, it is a forest. With wild animals. Beyond that is another pack who you haven’t sent out any communication to meet and therefore has no obligations to  **not** attack you. They like hunting at night in large teams. Up in the mountains you might be isolated and there might be lesser threats in the open, but here that is not the case. Your entourage has travelled a long way and is in no shape to fend off an attack. Come into our pack boundaries, you will be safe by my leader’s word. We will provide you with refreshments and good bedding for the night’ Taehyung’s tone is final as he ends his speech. 

The alpha stubbornly stares down Taehyung for the sting behind his words, but seeing that the other man is unmoved by his petty tactics, he nods once at Jeon. 


	3. The Valley

Min Yoongi, the alpha of the mountain wolves, broodingly sits beside his entourage in a rather luxurious hut, observing several valley wolves moving around him. The other pack is lavishly bringing in fruit and drinks, but no mountain wolf dares to make to eat until their alpha does. Min sniffs at every tray of food coming in, trying to smell out a toxin or two. Meanwhile Jungkook gulps saliva down loudly while his eyes widen to resemble the trays more and more. Their last hunt was early that morning, the younger alpha is famished and the trays keep coming. 

The entourage was led into the pack grounds of the valley wolves by the green-haired alpha. He smelled like apple wood and his unmated beta like candied apples. Min hadn’t bothered to learn their names when he knew them by scents. At the gates, they were asked to change their form, explicitly this time. Min wanted to refuse, but the apple-wood alpha had stood his ground again stating the rules of the valley wolves. This left Min and the rest of his party little room for negotiation. The alpha, Min noticed, couldn’t be a lot older than Jungkook. But he exuded a maturity and calmness beyond his age. Min grudgingly attributed this to the long-time peace the valley wolves have been enjoying. They must have had a lot of free time to train their wolves for different roles. 

As for the pink-haired beta, well Min took a minute processing his hair colour, not that the alpha’s was any less noticeable. From where Min came from, there was only ever the default black, of course he’s heard of ‘dyes’ but never came across such colours. He found it silly, albeit with some effort, especially the beta. When Min looked past the hair, he had found the beta’s eyes right on him. The next second they had flitted away to Jungkook then to most surprisingly, Seokjin. The alpha was unnerved by how quickly the beta had found the most important wolf in Min’s entourage. Especially when none of his wolves did anything to give Seokjin’s rank or status away. this was when Min had noticed other things about the beta- he didn’t fall back in steps when the alpha walked ahead, but walked beside the alpha, like an equal. He had initially assumed that the two were a couple, especially with how the beta stank of the alpha’s musk but Min wasn’t so sure anymore after observing the two wolves. There was a clear lack of submission from the beta. 

When walking into the pack grounds Min had seen a few heads had turning their way. But he saw there was no suspicion or fear in any of the wolves who looked at him and his party, just plain curiosity. The pack clearly knew who they were, but didn’t see them as a threat. The alpha’s pride was a little miffed by this. Instead of assuming the Valley pack’s trust in their leader, Min took to believing that they were naive. 

Meanwhile, Seokjin could only see the pups. As soon as they passed the gates of the pack’s residence, his eyes fell on a group zooming past them, on what Seokjin assumed was a game of tag. He had involuntarily lifted his hand to touch one of their heads as they passed him, but pulled it back as he felt the pink-haired beta’s eyes on him. They were all perfectly healthy, Jin noticed, his trained eyes picking out how none of the pups had any deformation like he was seeing among the pups in the mountains recently. 

What surprised Min were the omegas walking freely around on their pack grounds, doing their assigned jobs without a tinge of fear for the strange alphas passing them. He had heard of how the valley pack’s leader was an omega instead of an alpha through the grapevine. He had brushed off the idea immediately, omegas were never meant to assume positions of power. Their jobs were simply to produce strong pups for their alphas and care for the pack. Moreover most things on the grapevine were exaggerated, Min knows that too well. Again, he foolishly assumed that the long-time peace the valley wolves have enjoyed have made them less vigilant.

Min had also grudgingly realised that the valley wolves all look healthy and strong. They might not have better medicines than the ones Seokjin can conjure up, but their skin glowed, it was a matter of nutrition. Meanwhile his own pack in the mountains, or at least what is left of it now, looked like they were slowly, painfully dying. The clans of mountain wolves had fought many battles in these years which have torn apart the wolves internally too. Being prosperous was far low in Min’s list of priorities, but surviving the winter was definitely the first.  _ Let’s settle for food and leave  _ he decided, staying around here cannot do anyone much good. 

When all the trays were settled around his entourage and the bedding was laid out, the apple wood alpha came back into the hut. He had been outside supervising the whole arrangement. 

‘Please feel free to have a small meal and rest. The bathrooms are out in the back.’ The alpha continues gesturing towards a back door Min had noticed when he came into the hut first. He had marked it as a possible escape route if they were under attack. ‘Our leader will meet you at the pack’s dinner at 9. I will be here to escort you there at 8:45. If there is anything that you need, please ask our pack members who will be around the hut always’ the alpha bows again and leaves. Min is confused by the act of submission once more, but not by the double-edged statement at the end. While being hospitable, it was also a subtle and well-placed threat. Min’s pack will be constantly watched. 

As soon as the alpha closed the door behind him, Jungkook turned to Min pleadingly, his large doe-eyes begging Min to begin eating. The growing boy is hungry a lot more than Min is, years of starvation has pushed his appetite to a low simmer in his stomach. Min tentatively reaches for a ripe red apple on a tray and sniffs it. Seokjin has his head lowered before the alpha but Min knows that there will be a smirk on that face mocking him now for his suspicions. When he is absolutely sure that the apple is not poisoned, he bites into it, nearly moaning with the burst of juice and flavour in his mouth.  _ How long has it been since I’ve had an apple this good?  _ Min thinks momentarily,  _ How long has it been since I had an apple? _ He mentally cuts down the thought, schooling himself.  _ I’m not here to board a self-pity train, my pack is starving. _

On seeing that his alpha has taken the first bite, Jungkook almost falls over himself in an attempt to get to the tray of roasted buck meat. Seokjin, on noticing that Min’s eyes are elsewhere, coolly moves the tray an inch away from Jungkook, making the young alpha’s task a little harder. The rest of the entourage silently eats, clearing tray after tray of deliciously cooked meat and fruit. The older pack advisors who had followed Min to the meeting can only remember having food this good from a time before the battles among the mountain clans began. 

When Min finishes the apple he started on, he gets up from his seat, startling every other pack member momentarily. ‘Eat as much as you can, if the meeting doesn’t go well, we may have to leave tonight before their dinner is over’ Min says, stalking out of the hut. Jungkook sits there with a piece of half-chewed meat in his open mouth staring after his alpha shocked at the prospect of resuming their travelling back to the mountains that very night. Meanwhile Seokjin finishes his glass of flavoured milk and waits for the alphas in the entourage to start their usual conversations. When they are distracted enough, Seokjin silently leaves through the back door that the apple wood alpha had pointed to. He finds Min leaning beside the frame of the door as soon as he steps out, as expected. Seokjin cannot bring himself to be startled, he is very used to how his mate can blend into a night

‘What do you want to tell me?’ Min asks while nonchalantly picking dirt from his fingernails with the pocket-knife he carries. Min knows Seokjin too well to know what his long looks mean, so he had waited for the omega to step out to speak his mind. And Seokjin knows Min too well to know that the alpha is never not curious as to the workings of his head. 

Seokjin notices that the knife as usual has made an appearance on an important night. The knife, Seokjin knows from the time he has spent around Min, calms the otherwise unperturbed alpha. It belonged to the alpha’s deceased omega mother. 

‘Yoongi, alpha’ Seokjin greets his official mate, bowing to him slightly.

Min doesn’t look up from his knife, making no movement to acknowledge the greeting. Seokjin’s omega wolf should be used to the rejection by now. 

‘Their pack looks healthy’ Seokjin tentatively starts with the most obvious. 

‘Yeah, I’ve noticed. Get to your point.’ Min snaps. 

‘Yoongi, their pack functions differently than ours.’ Seokjin forces himself to not soften his next words. ‘Please be careful of their customs’ His words are polite but the tone is sharp. Not a lot of wolves have had the privilege to speak to Min Yoongi, the feared alpha of the mountain wolves in the same tone as Seokjin did. Or they have dared once, and found themselves missing a limb or two. Min slowly looks up from his knife, Seokjin hold his gaze for a second before submissively looking to the ground. 

‘Basically, you’re asking me not to be an annoying stubborn prick’ Yoongi replies, sighing and standing up and away from the frame. He folds and puts his knife back into his pant pocket. ‘Jin, just tell me what you want to say. We both know this is not pleasant for the other. Why prolong this..’ He gestures with a flick of his wrist between the both of them ‘..conversation?’ the last word and it’s admission seems to be causing him physical pain

Jin sighs, shifting his footing uncomfortably, the alpha’s attentive gaze on him. ‘What you heard about an omega being their leader is true, you heard the beta in the valley speaking yourself. Try your best to not be condescending, not even unknowingly. We have to be very careful. I know you mountain wolves follow the ancient rules but that won’t work here. Where I am from—‘

‘Jin’ Min interrupts, letting a silence grow pregnant among them for a moment. ‘You are a mountain wolf too’ another beat, Seokjin breathes out slowly as if to not ruffle the thick, charged air between them. He then lifts his head to look at Min, silent words pass between them, many apologies for their broken relationship and marred past. 

‘Only by mateship’ Jin utters, barely audible. 


	4. What about the Mountain Wolves?

When Taehyung had left the hut which housed the mountain wolves, he had breathed a sigh of relief. After those first few moments of meeting the hostile alpha, Taehyung had really thought that the entourage will not even make it to the pack gates. But once he had made things crystal clear, things smoothly fell into place. He rubbed his face, thinking about the little tryst regarding the mountain wolves shifting to human forms at the gate, he had to bring all his alpha-ness to perform. It left him in an uncomfortable position with himself, something never felt right being the alpha he was supposed to be, rather than being the alpha he actually is.

His work is half-done for the day. But Taehyung promises himself a break only after tonight’s meeting. He has yet to report back to Hoseok regarding the information he had gathered at this initial encounter. After the reporting, the leader omega will go on to strategize on how to move forward with their demands. Taehyung reviews the mental list of information that he had gathered to present before Hoseok.

Right after escorting the mountain wolves into their pack boundaries, Jimin had left for the kitchen to drop off their sack of gatherings and help with tonight’s feast. He had mentioned that Taemin had kitchen duty today and the beta had wanted Jimin around for help. Taehyung knew he would only see Jimin at dinner now, the two betas had a way of having long, immersive conversations over the pack kitchen’s coal ovens without noticing the passage of time.

At the centre of pack grounds, Taehyung momentarily paused for a second wondering where Hoseok would be currently according to his schedule. Recounting that Hoseok’s accounting duties and evening rounds to the heat home must be over by this hour, Taehyung decides to make his way to the infirmary. _He always ends up there at the end of the day_ Taehyung thinks, a small smile on his face.

On his way to the infirmary, Taehyung processes through all the many things which had happened during his encounter with the mountain wolves. He doesn’t know a lot about what Jimin named as the ‘Ancient rules’ and that troubles him. He had done the per-functionary studying of old texts necessary for the position as ‘ambassador’ of the valley wolves. _How did I miss this then?_ Taehyung shakes his head.

But before the mistake eats away at his head, he is telling himself that despite his lack of knowledge in the area, the initial encounter with the hostile pack had gone surprisingly well. He wonders whether he should have asked Jimin for advice while he pointed it out before the white Mountain wolves in the valley but Taehyung remembers the gaze of their alpha leader on him. It wouldn’t have looked nice on his part to not know about their customs and if what Taehyung presumed was right the alpha would have less regard for him if he sought a beta’s help. Taehyung’s priority here should be to show his pack’s strong side, only then will they be able to draw the bigger stick at the bargain waiting ahead for them.

Then his thoughts move to how quickly the mountain wolves folded their cards today when he assertively demanded them to change back forms at pack boundaries. Taehyung did not even have to try that hard. He remember while talking to a nomad alpha who had joined the pack beyond the Mulberry, Taehyung was told of how the mountain wolves were led by head-strong alphas who would not bend to anyone’s will and hence had frequent conflicts.

But today, the leader alpha was almost too eager to accept Taehyung’s invitation into the pack grounds. What had immediately come to him was that the mountain wolves, if not for food by their haggard skinny human forms, really needed something from their pack. They needed something so badly as to compromise their core traits to the will of the valley pack. _Hoseok was spot on as usual._ Taehyung thinks.

While these thoughts spin around in his head, Taehyung absent-mindedly acknowledges and smiles at the wolves who pass him on the way. Most of them he knew from when he was a pup and they were a part of what he had grown to call home. If the mountain wolves had been cordial to only make their way into the pack to wreak havoc, Taehyung would not let a single one of them out of his pack grounds alive.

Then a pair of white eyes rushes to his mind. Now that Taehyung thinks about it, that grey coat of fur was not something he had ever seen. And Taehyung, with his line of work in the pack has met a large number of foreign wolves. The grey fur and the white eyes, might not really stand out, but once noticed, is hard to be forgotten. It was rare, might be even exotic, Taehyung knew that much.

Even if it was too early to entertain such a thought Taehyung can’t help but wonder. He had noticed the slender man the grey wolf had changed form into. He had walked a little distance away from his own pack members, like he wanted no association with them at all. His skin was darker, a tan not seen in the mountains but there was an unhealthy pale beneath it, speaking of unending winters and very little nutrition.

_Does this mean the rumours are right? Do they have a wolf from the beyond, a healer, an omega?_ Somehow Taehyung feels his instinct about this might be spot on. Taehyung did not miss the look of longing in the grey wolf’s eyes while watching the pups playing in the pack grounds, there was some deep anguish there and Taehyung’s been always one to pick up on emotions.

When he finally reaches the infirmary, he pushes the door open to Namjoon’s office. The familiar scent of fresh rain and homely wine sneaks comfort into his worrying head.

‘Hyung’ Taehyung calls out, when he finds neither wolf in the office.

‘In here, Taehyungie’ Namjoon calls out from the storeroom, a dingy partition to Namjoon’s office, which holds a few of the medicines and Namjoon’s personal collection of books.

‘Come out, then.’ Taehyung calls back, tone slightly irritated. He knew Hoseok and Namjoon well enough to know that there isn’t anything innocent about them hiding in the storeroom at this time of the day. He seats himself on a chair opposite to Namjoon’s at the older alpha’s desk. 

‘One sec’ Hoseok sing-songs before shouting, ‘ow ow ow, Joonie my toe’. Taehyung can’t help the smile which splits his face at the scuffle he can hear from the storeroom. His brother has always been the clumsiest alpha in the pack.

Hoseok and Namjoon has been officially mates for over a year now. Taehyung thinks they have courted each other since they were toddlers. Their parents’ long-standing friendship coupled with the duties the Kim family was held responsible for in the pack, the Jungs and Kims couldn’t help but always be around each other. The three sons of both the families combined resulted in being extremely tight-bound in their friendship. When adolescence hit and Namseok turned more to themselves, Taehyung turned more to a particularly mischevious Park Jimin. With roping in Jimin into their tight bound group, Taehyung found balance among the googly-eyed teenagers that were Namjoon and Hoseok, while also finding a chaotic side to all of them.

During a cold night last to last spring, when the three and this particular Park Jimin sat around a bonfire in the winter cold, smoking some cannabis the said Park Jimin had acquired from the Mulberry, Hoseok had popped ‘the’ question. Jimin and Taehyung sat there grinning like idiots at whole thing while Namjoon had a full breakdown, as if he was surprised Hoseok liked him when the other was just eating his face (quite literally) not two minutes ago. First he was unable to breathe and then he was bawling his eyes out like a hungry pup, but had eventually stuttered out a blessed ‘yes’ among the sobs he was pressing into Hoseok’s shoulder. Then, they had both cried for another quarter of an hour, holding on to each other, like the love-sick fools they were. Taehyung and Jimin were so done with them by the end of it.

The pack had expected their next leader’s mateship, nobody could be blind to the way Hoseok looked at Namjoon or the grand gestures he made on all their courting anniversaries towards the shy healer alpha. But the pack had wrongly assumed the couple will cool down after a honeymoon phase. What was shy courting and jealous angst before, after their mateship started, became full on flirting and shameless fucking even in semi-public areas. To be honest, Taehyung wouldn’t be surprised if they were doing-the-do in the storeroom.

Hoseok comes out of the storeroom first, his hand rubbing gentle circles at the mate mark on his scent gland, which looks a little red. He smells strongly of Namjoon. Taehyung sits there thinking his brother and his brother-in-law might be the most disgusting wolves to ever live in the valley, the thought shows on his face but Hoseok flashes him a blinding smile, nothing apologetic.

The omega beelines for Namjoon’s chair and seats himself comfortably. Taehyung notices the bright glow high on Hoseok’s cheeks. It confirms his suspicions as to what was going _down_ in the storeroom.

‘Where’s Namjoon?’ Hoseok innocently asks Taehyung, quirking an eyebrow. This is a game that they often play, Taehyung knows how this goes. 

He smirks. ‘Well, I don’t know, maybe you should ask yourself’ he lifts his chin at Hoseok ‘considering how you STINK of him’ his tone equally innocent, unreflecting of the accusation in his words.

As if on cue Namjoon walks in, his clothes, hair and aspect all perfect. Even the spectacles perched on his arched nose doesn’t have a speck in it. He definitely doesn’t look like anything unprofessional had conspired in the storeroom. On seeing that his chair is taken, Namjoon doesn’t divert from his path but promptly sits on Hoseok’s lap. Hoseok lets out a huff of a breath at the weight that is dropped on him, but duly wraps his hand around Namjoon’s waist.

‘You know there are other chairs in this room, right?’ Taehyung starts at Namjoon, leaning forward and holding his hands together as he looks at them intently. He looks like every bit the alpha he is from his body language but the tinkle in his eyes gives him away.

‘But none as comfortable as my wife’s lap’ Namjoon counters with a dramatic flair of his hands. While Taehyung bickered constantly with Hoseok, he rarely did with Namjoon, the older alpha being his brother, always knew how to shut off Taehyung’s mouth with a witty comeback.

‘Hey hey hey’ Hoseok punctuates every word with a hit on Namjoon’s arm. ‘Why am I the wife?’ he hits Namjoon again. Taehyung notices how despite his disapproval, that glow of a blush shines brighter on his cheeks, Hoseok has always liked attention like this, a lot more than he lets on. He then goes on to tickle Namjoon, who giggles and squirms in his lap, trying to flirt his way out of the giggling. Taehyung patiently waits on but they keep at it for a full five minutes.

‘ARE WE DONE HERE YET?’ he shouts at them when he is done with their flirty asses.

Guilty that they are being inattentive of Taehyung, both turns their head to him. Hoseok’s hand is still around Namjoon’s waist and Namjoon in turn looks a little too comfortable leaning back into Hoseok’s lean torso.

‘Jimin says they follow the “Ancient rules”’ Taehyung starts with the most worrying aspect about their visitors. Namjoon sits up a little at this statement and the smile on Hoseok’s face is wiped off. ‘They wanted to meet our pack’s alpha at the valley. Didn’t want to come into our grounds, didn’t want to change form, it was quite a hackle to convince them’ Taehyung’s voice is solemn.

Namjoon gets up from Hoseok’s lap and slowly makes his way into the chair beside Taehyung. He adjusts it a little so he faces both Taehyung and Hoseok. Meanwhile, Hoseok watches him, like Namjoon’s mundane actions lets him think.

‘Hoseok, this is a lot worse than we thought’ Namjoon says to his mate when he is settled down. ‘They will not be open to an omega leadership’


	5. What about the Mountain Wolves? Part 2

‘I don’t think there is any doubt regarding that anymore’ Taehyung replies.

‘What else?’ Hoseok asks after a moment of rare silence between the three. His voice void of all the cheeriness it had minutes ago. He purposefully ignores Namjoon’s statement.

‘It is not scent maskers they use’ Taehyung says, his words careful in the wake of how he doesn’t know how to explain the next thing he needs to. ‘I… I couldn’t smell them, Hyung’ he turns to Namjoon. ‘They didn’t have any scents, at all. Absolutely nothing in the air’

Namjoon’s mouth opens and closes like a fish out of water, speechless at this prospect. Hoseok closes his eyes and rubs his temple.

‘Their scent maskers are fool-proof, imagine what this could do for us’ Taehyung continues, ‘they must know we want it, but do they know how bad we want it?’

‘We’ll play it down, make it look like it’s not that important to us’ Hoseok mutters.

‘But how?’ Namjoon finally gathering his wits to drag them back to scent maskers. He then looks at Hoseok, like he might have an answer to this new information but Hoseok’s mind is elsewhere racing with the possibilities of such a technology. How his entire pack’s dynamics could change, how omegas like him can go out to hunt. Hoseok’s fixes in his head with a firm conviction that he will get what the mountain wolves has, no matter what.

‘They wouldn’t come here without wanting something badly’ Hoseok tells them slowly, his voice lower than the usual high pitch. He fold his left feet under his lap, sitting like how he usually does while condoning meetings at the pack dinner.

‘Food, you were right, they definitely want food.’ Taehyung has a hand under his chin, scratching what of his little beard which has appeared during the day. ‘You’ll understand when you see Hyung, they are so skinny like they haven’t had enough food in a long time’

‘The war has nearly wiped them all out, Taehyung. While you were out, Bogum came by with what he had gathered from a few packs beyond the Mulberry. They say the new alpha, Min? He has united the mountain wolves under one pack’ Hoseok replies.

‘I don’t think we can call it unite, Hobi’ Namjoon points to something Taehyung has no knowledge of.

‘What do you mean?’ Taehyung asks, squinting his eyes slightly in confusion

‘They were under war, for quite some time. Then the current alpha, Min rose to power, out of nowhere.’ Namjoon fills Taehyung in. ‘Bogum said no one from the packs he went to knew what clan Min is from. Basically this guy was a nobody and for a nobody to become the Mountain wolves pack alpha is no joke, they really value family hierarchy out there. He had rapidly climbed ranks in battles and then went on to tear the clans to shreds, and then stitched back the remaining pieces together to form the pack the Mountain wolves have now. There is no record of how many battles went down, because there were one too many. They had 12 clans from what I understood, he has put it all under one pack. He is dangerous beyond our understanding’

Taehyung sits with his mouth open, shock written all over his face. He turns to Hoseok slowly, gulping down air.

‘What do we do? They are already in pack grounds’ Taehyung’s voice is breathy.

Hoseok’s face lights in a small smile of endearment. ‘I know, TaeTae. We’ll be okay. They are just here for food, if they touch one of us, the rest of their pack will die this winter. If we put out word that they troubled us, no pack will help them too. We are in control here, don’t worry’

‘But we have to be careful, they are known to be unpredictable and violent, Hoseok.’ Namjoon addresses him directly. ‘What if they break pact and act out on us when they don’t get what they want? There are pups at the dinner, Hoseok. What if they get hurt? Can’t we have this meeting away from pack dinner’ Namjoon almost pleads.

His alpha has always been like this. While being biologically aggressive, possessive and dominant he has never overstepped boundaries and directed Hoseok to do something. Namjoon has always perfectly known who makes the decisions regarding the pack. He carefully voices his genuine concerns to Hoseok and Hoseok has always listened. Not only because he was his mate but also because where Hoseok saw possible gains for the pack, Namjoon has always been able to see losses. Hoseok, with his head in the clouds, finds his tether to the ground in Namjoon. And he’s never not listened to Namjoon, except now.

‘No, this has to happen at pack dinner Namjoon. They are coming asking us for food, let’s show them the surplus we have. They should also see how prosperous we are, how healthy our pups are, what peace does for packs. That will speak for us. If things turn ugly, we will control it. We have some good fighters, Namjoon, if they act out, they won’t make it out of here alive and someone like Min will know that. Let’s bank on our strengths and get what we want from them’ Hoseok replies with an unquestionable authority

A shiver runs down Taehyung’s spine, he has rarely sees Hoseok like this. He has a focused calculating look in his eye, like he will do anything to get what he wants. Taehyung feels a little afraid of the Omega before him.

If the hostile wolves follow “ancient rules”, Namjoon doesn’t see a lot of hope in the upcoming meeting. He knows how the medicines the healer from The Beyond can change their lives more than anyone in the entire pack. He knows what these modified scent-maskers can do for the omegas on the hunting front. He knows, yet he cannot help but worry whether the stakes are stacked too high against his pack, against his mate. Adding to his unease is his instinct telling him that something will go wrong in this meeting, that his pack will walk away with more losses, that he will walk away with more losses.

‘Tell me about their alpha’ Hoseok asks making Taehyung who looks up in surprise. He had thought that all the necessary information regarding the Mountain wolves were already on the table.

‘Urm… silent, broody and very…uh.. cold?’ Taehyung replies, not knowing what Hoseok is looking for. The omega nods while both the alphas look on. ‘There are more scars on his body than I have ever seen on a living human being’ these words surprise Taehyung himself when they leave his mouth. He had made the observation but he had not really thought much of it then, but now as he says the words it makes sense to him.

‘Hmm… what else?’ Hoseok looks pensive. ‘Did he talk to you when he understood that you are not the pack’s alpha?’

‘No, he didn’t. Send another alpha to talk to me, one from his guard, said he is Min’s right hand’

‘How old is he?’ Hoseok asks Taehyung again.

‘He looks a little older than you hyung, physically.’ Taehyung reconsiders the next piece of information he is about to say. He decides it is better to give as much detail to his leader as possible. ‘But hyung, his wolf, it’s much-‘

‘Bigger than me?’ Hoseok interrupts him. There is tight smile on his face. ‘Of course it will be, he’s fought too many battles’

Hoseok senses the stink of fear and disappointment mixed into Namjoon’s rain scent. He knows that it will soon morph into distress, that there will be further objections as to his decision. Hoseok’s omega instincts want to comfort his mate, but he pushes it to the side judging that it will be easier to handle if they were alone, just the two of them.

Namjoon knows when his scent starts steeping into bitterness at the thought of a fight between his mate and the hostile pack’s larger alpha. Taehyung’s nose twitches at the smell, but he keeps his silence, knowing when to not cross boundaries.

The image of a pair of white eyes flash in Taehyung’s mind. Somehow his immediate reaction is to cover his mouth, like he subconsciously wants to hold this little piece of information in. He works out of it, a little slowly but definitely.

‘Hyung, there is something else. I think they brought their healer along, the one from the Beyond’ Taehyung despite keeping his eyes on his fingers laying on his lap, he knows he has both pairs of eyes on him. ‘There was a grey wolf, white eyes. He looked different…’

The unusual hesitation is Taehyung’s small voice doesn’t go unnoticed by his elder brother, but Namjoon brushes it aside for the important matters at hand.

‘Well, they’ve come prepared. We can only know at the meeting what all they will ask. In no way should we come off as desperate, otherwise we’ll lose ration to them’ Hoseok warns them. ‘Also, Min.’ Hoseok pauses. ‘He is going to be a dick, to say the least. Let’s keep our tempers, talk to the alphas in the council Tae. We keep our calm and nothing’s going to happen’ Namjoon’s scent piques in something tangy, Hoseok knows through their bond he is angry. ‘We’ll have to work around the Min. He made himself, so there’ll be arrogance but at least he’ll be in the least straightforward’ Hoseok hesitates for a minute ‘Hopefully’

Namjoon rubs his eyes not so gently, he knows Hoseok will not look at him now. _He is literally asking us to wipe this Min’s ass, nothing will even come of it_ Namjoon knows his omega will come to him when they are alone and talk this out, but he cannot simply cannot quell his anger. Hoseok is known for being the most approachable pack leader in the Valley, but he can turn in his cheer one too many notches up if there are stakes involved. Namjoon just hopes to the Moon that his mate knows what he is doing in. But then a doubt strikes the alpha _I hope he doesn’t have a hand in delaying Bogum’s return._ Namjoon snuffs out that thought _Hoseok wouldn’t._

‘Do we have time to go home to wash up before dinner?’ Namjoon asks, his voice a little sharper than he intended to, yet sounding somehow resigned. He wants time with Hoseok before this damned meeting.

Hoseok can only imagine how Namjoon feels. He has been against this meeting since they received correspondence from the Mountain wolves. But Hoseok has almost stubbornly stood his ground, he will not abandon his fellow omegas, forfeit a chance for them to have a better quality of life. But the omega in him wouldn’t want to upset his mate too much, so Hoseok decides it is only right he give time to Namjoon to talk his mind in the privacy of their home, away from Hoseok’s capacity as pack leader. 

He wants Namjoon’s usual vigilant and smart self at the meeting tonight. His disagreement might shadow his judgement regarding the situation at hand but his knowledge in the “ancient rules” and medicines are unmatched among the Valley wolves. Hoseok as the pack’s leader omega, as much as his mate’s support, would need the pack healer’s knowledge to win tonight.


	6. Jung Hoseok

The conversation Min and Seokjin had ended without any result in a harsh calm. Seokjin had turned and walked back into their assigned hut, and Min was left with the darkness and the silence, as usual. He had been recently noting how nearly every other encounter he has with his mate suffused into this weighted silence, what was left unsaid choking both of them. They discussed everything, but nothing about themselves and their dying relationship. _Dead relationship_ Min corrects himself. Min decides to take a walk through the pack grounds of the Valley Wolves, hoping that he moving alone wouldn’t alarm whoever the apple wood alpha left to watch his entourage.

Kim Seokjin was the omega healer from the beyond that the mountain wolves were rumoured to have. He was officially mated to the alpha of the mountain wolves. But Min never understood Seokjin, while the omega never tried to be understood to begin with. Aside from the fact that there were absolutely no romantic feelings between the couple, Seokjin was Min’s unofficial advisor. In his effort to fulfil the duties as the pack alpha’s mate, Seokjin had completely taken over the healthcare of the mountain wolves, working day and night to make medicines for the pack. But his medicine could not substitute nutrition. Nor could his omega gender elevate his status to Min’s right hand, especially in a pack as orthodox as the Mountain wolves.

The few words Seokjin had uttered troubled Min to no end. As he wandered aimlessly among the valley wolves, the demons encircling his head whispered of his failures to him. The valley wolves paid no attention to him, his small figure and plain features hiding him well among the wolves.

Like Seokjin had said, Min knew that one mistake in the upcoming meeting could possibly result in his pack dying of starvation this winter. Min bites his lip raw at that thought. He had just won his last battle barely a month ago, his alphas were too weak and injured to go out and gather information for him about the valley wolves. And it is not like the Mountain wolves had any packs who they were friendly with. Isolated in the mountains and always at conflict with each other they barely had time to step out and make better relations with other packs.

Min knew his scent was becoming more and more prominent with the turn of time as he hadn’t taken the tiny pebbles of medicine that Seokjin had prescribed twice a day to dissipate their scents. But the pack he is walking among should have around 100 members roughly according to his estimation, none of who wore scent-hiders. He knew among a pack this large, one could easily get lost and that is exactly what he was planning to do till the meeting began.

The pack grounds was a heady mix of scents. The irritating musk of the alphas laced into the sweet scents of omegas blended with the muted undertones of betas was quite a lot to take. Min, while in the company of his entourage, had been rid of the smell of wolves for the entire week it had taken them to make the journey to the valley. Now he feels like he has been thrown in a forest in spring, the different scents nearly attacking his nose and head.

But he doesn’t have time to let his head get muddled with the myriad of scents around him. He forces himself to focus on all the little observations he had made about the Valley Wolves, wanting to draw inferences from them. Because this was all he had on them.

Min knew from the apple wood alpha’s conduct that the valley wolves regularly had guests, which means they would have good relationships with the packs around. This instils a tiny swirling fear in Min’s head _, if_ _we don’t act smart here and something goes wrong, no pack around will help_ Min knows this. The wolves from Beyond brought their peace from him in exchange for Seokjin, and they won’t appreciate a revisit from him, that is if he surpasses his own pride.

Lost in his own thoughts, Min involuntarily chooses to go into a deserted turn at the centre of the pack grounds, subconsciously avoiding busy areas. His head works up a strategy for the meeting ahead. The path he takes has little to no light coming from the adjacent huts. Out of nowhere a drizzle starts wetting the virgin ground, muting the throng of scents Min was trying to get away from.

The deserted path and the fresh rain slowly clears his head. Water drips from his jet-black hair into the collar of the shirt he is wearing. The clothes were particularly brought for the meeting, tied around the hind leg of his wolf form, another one of Seokjin’s off-the-record suggestions. Min cannot bring himself to care as his only pair of clothes get. _What’s a little rain to a wolf who grew up in a hail storm?_ He thinks. Words, twisting them to mean more somehow, to hurt himself with, was Min’s special talent. Min’s mind relaxes with the familiar cold that the rain brings, tension slowly bleeds out of his joints. But it only lasts a short moment.

The scent of wine wafts mutedly through the thick humid air. Min stops mid-way, frozen in his spot, his nose tries to place the direction where the scent is coming from.

He is tied to the ground which he stands on as he closes his eyes and **inhales** the scent a second time, deeply.

The rich gem-like burgundy of Aged fine wine blooms behind his eyelids in all its beauty and intensity. The scent reminds him of a time long gone, when the omegas of the mountains crushed wild grapes and fruit, and fermented it to serve it at peaceful pack dinners. Aged fine wine which brings in painfully happy memories of the mountain wolves before they were torn into hostile clans, before they tore into each other. Aged fine wine smelling a lot like which his mother had warmed by their small fireplace, serving it to his happy family of three, just on the night before the war broke out. Aged fine wine, the last he ever had before his entire world was fell apart.

A hunger arouses in the depths of his stomach, where he had believed the past winters had buried his appetite. Min feels a fever rising from his chest, coursing through his body. His whole body starts shaking like a leaf stuck in a torrential wind, the heat of the fever breaking out of him in bursts.

The scent of wine is so perfectly authentic that it takes Min a minute to differentiate it, to understand, to place it as a wolf’s scent, an omega’s scent.

He **exhales** and the image of a slender sweaty neck appears in his mind.

When he opens his eyes again, they are the sharp icy blue of his wolf’s. He involuntarily jerks into a striding pace, and then breaks out in a run, his feet taking him to the source of the scent, leaving him no space to think about the cost of his actions. With every pound of his leg on the wet ground, his heartbeat climbs. Min makes sharp turns in the deserted pathways between valley huts, sprinting, breathless, his body’s heat contrasting with the wet cold of the rain. As he becomes more desperate, his fever peaks higher, muscles painfully flexing and unflexing, readying him to change form. But he grinds his teeth, supressing the urge and urgency, trying to follow his weak human nose to the origin of the scent.

Where he ends up, where he finds the scent strongest, is behind a considerably large hut which stands away from the others, at a corner of the fenced pack grounds. He skids to a stop at the door, panting. His sweat mixes into the rain drops falling from his face, his heart hammering in anticipation over what is behind that door. Min places his hand lightly on the rough thatched surface beside the door of the hut, readying himself to barge into the hut but his rationality intervenes.

_What the FUCK am I doing here? Why am I FUCKING behaving like a savage? No, don’t do this._ Min walks away from the door, but there is something so primal pulling him back. He walks back to the door again, as if his body is being pulled towards whatever is behind that door. _NO, I can’t do this, NO!_ He orders himself, and falls on his knees, sitting in a crouch at the door, pulling his hair and swinging like a madman. _This is suicide, I don’t have time to smell after an omega now_ he pushes his head between his knees, swinging back and forth, trying to calm himself down while this urge is violently trying to push out of him. _My pack will die_ the image of several scraggy white wolves, lying lifeless on whiter snow attacks his fever-addled mind, increasing the force and speed of his swinging. Losing his balance, Min tips, into the door, which gives easily under his weight, opening into the hut, making him fall forward into a room. The scent assaults his nose violently

What awaits his eyes leaves him shivering. Two nearly naked bodies are twisted into each other against the opposite wall, the legs of one encircles the waist of another, fitting into each other. Min was never one for voyeurism, but he cannot take his eyes off the omega hoisted against the wall with his head leaning back and sweaty neck bared in submission. He is being erratically jostled by the thrusts of the tall alpha, who is covering most of the omega’s body from Min’s line of vision. ‘Hoseok’ the alpha cries out wantonly, his voice gruff, groaning with every upward thrust. Min realises he will be found any second now, but he is simply unable to move, his head spinning in the intoxicating scent of wine in the fresh rain.

The omega, as if sensing someone, brings down his head sharply eyes falling on Min. Another shiver racks through his body as the omega’s yellow wolf eyes meets his blue ones. He sits there for a split second, like a prey caught in a predator’s gaze, and then his body pushes him into flight.

Min runs.

Jungkook is finishing his last piece of meat when his precious Hyungnim breaks through the door of the hut. The wet alpha looks flustered to say the least, his usually pale cheeks burning pink with exertion and the shame. But dear Jungkook is unaware of his predicament.

‘Hyungnim, why do you smell like sex?’ Jungkook asks, his eyes widening like saucers after catching a whiff of a muted tone of an after Min busted into the hut. ‘Did you _already_ get some?’ the naïve wolf asks, leaving his plate to circle around his pack alpha, sniffing around in the air. Min is slightly shocked that he has carried the scent through the drizzle. But before the boy can come too close to Min, he pushes him away with a pale hand to the younger’s. ‘Ahhh!’ Jungkook whines characteristically ‘why do you never ever take me on these adventures?’ the boy follows him, as Min searches among the bedding for dry clothes. He had seen the Valley wolves bringing some in. ‘I knew when we were walking around that these omegas would bend over eaaaasy, I mean they don’t even seem scared of alphas, must have seen so many, huh?’ Jungkook speaks, through his chewing, Min can’t remember what the kid must have put in his mouth now. ‘But this was so quick, they must have sensed our Hyungnim is a true alpha’ Min palms his face while his head pounds in the aftermath of the adrenaline and the still-receding fever.

In an attempt to divert the topic, Min looks around for another subject. His little entourage on seeing that their alpha has taken a leave has also left their little assigned hut, probably with the valley wolves tailing them. Min grudgingly notices how they are getting comfortable among the new pack a little too quick. But on noticing his mate’s absence, Min raises a question, not out of curiosity or concern, just to worm his way out of the topic at hand. There is nothing better to engage Jungkook, to get a rise out of him, other than Seokjin.

‘Where is Seokjin?’ Min turns to Jungkook, finally side-tacking the excited pup of an alpha.

‘Slinked off into the night as usual, the rest of us not good enough company for His Majesty.’ Jungkook says, walking back to his plate, his demeanour changing visibly but rightly representing the view the Mountain Wolves held of Seokjin.

‘Don’t speak like that, Kook-ah. He is my mate.’ Min replies, his voice small, and carrying no weight. He finally finds a pair of pants among the pile of bedding he was looking through and then he unearths a short-sleeve shirt. Min frowns, he doesn’t usually wear anything with short-sleeves but then he gets an idea in his head. _I’ll let them see the war tattoos, might work in our favour._

‘Yeah right. Mate, you say. Lost your pup too. You should leave him and find another fertile omega. It’s not like anyone from the beyond will care for what happens to him’ Jungkook replies. Min sits down besides the bedding, facing away from Jungkook and catching his breath. Memories of his bed back home, bloody and smelling of death seeps like poison into his mind but he forcefully pushes the thought out.

‘That’s enough, Jungkook’ Min scolds solemnly, pulling the wet shirt over his head.


	7. Seeking Comfort

After he was sure Min had left, Seokjin had slipped out of the back door again. His chronic headache was back with a vengeance, the stress of the upcoming meeting was killing him. He had walked among the valley wolves trying to seek out the pups he saw earlier that day. Pups always cheered Seokjin up, these little sweethearts were what got Seokjin into learning medicine from his grandmother.

He was the only son to the alpha of the wolves from the Beyond. While giving birth to him, his omega father had passed away. His alpha father never forgave Seokjin for taking his mate’s life. Seokjin grew up alone in the alpha’s large residence haunted by the reminders of his late father. When it got to his head too much, Seokjin had always found himself in the nursery tending to new-borns and sick pups. In those moments, somehow, Seokjin felt he was more than just his father’s murderer.

As if his fate hadn’t punished him enough, he presented as an omega. His alpha father abandoned him completely because there was no prospect of him being the heir, the next alpha to the wolves from the Beyond. But Seokjin was just happy he could bear pups. The wolves around him started caring less about him too, leaving him alone in peace to do whatever he wanted. This left him to be at the nursery all the time, and thus started his journey as a healer.

When he first tried his hand at medicine, Seokjin had immediately known that this was for him. He could only hope to have redemption in the moments he saved a life. In the matter of a few years, he grew to be nearly as good as his omega grandmother who had been a practising healer all her life. While Seokjin’s talents and skill in medicine worked in others’ favour, it didn’t in his.

He had mistakenly thought that his father would keep him around for his expertise in medicine. But when the feared alpha of the Mountain Wolves threatened his pack, Seokjin’s father had mercilessly sold him and his expertise in medicine for peace. In return, Min promised to never contact the wolves of the Beyond again.

It was not a fate uncommon among omegas born to alphas of power. But it was particularly harsh on Seokjin. The everlasting winter in the mountains were unlike the warmth of plains and lowlands of the beyond. The mountain wolves by then torn apart by the incessant wars were a bitter pack, hostile like their landscape. The cold only added to the loneliness which had followed him all his life.

Min never intended to have a mate and the mountain wolves saw Seokjin as an exotic creature, the untouchable property of their alpha. Even his medicines could not bribe the untrusting mountain wolves to have a conversation with him. Seokjin went on to live in the silence he had grown up in.

When he got pregnant after one of Min’s ruts, Seokjin was elated. The unborn pup would be a companion to him, finally someone to have a conversation with. The exchanges he had with his elusive mate started lasting more than two sentences, more than enquiries of health. Seokjin was proud of making the icy Min Yoongi smile. It birthed a small warmth in him, a ball of precious joy. But his joy was short-lived. Min’s pack had gone into war again, another nameless mountain clan among the many they fought. It was the last of Min’s attempts to join the clans under one pack. Min won, but Seokjin lost.

The war had brought in injuries followed by epidemics. Seokjin had helpers, but they were inexperienced hands. Among the hassle, he had little time to take care for the small life growing inside him. It had all happened suddenly. He had collapsed while patching up a septic wound on a beta’s shoulder. His helpers didn’t know what to do. Seokjin woke up in a pool of blood on his alpha’s bed in the middle of the night to the screams of the cold mountain wind. The silence and loneliness embraced him again.

To calm his aching head, Seokjin had followed the sweet scents of the valley pups for some time before an unprecedented drizzle starts. _Oh no, not this, not now_ Seokjin frantically searched for some an awning to stand under. He has to keep his only pair of clothes from getting wet, _as it is they won’t take me seriously, I can’t go to this meeting wet!_ But the area in the pack grounds that Seokjin had walked into has no huts with verandas or any kind of outreaching roofs. As the drops of rain become bigger, Seokjin’s panic rises. Then he sees a lit thatched hut, standing a little away from the others. Something about the warm bulb and wanky paint job attracts Seokjin, makes him nearly gravitate towards the hut. He lifts his hands and knocks, swings on the balls of his feet, drops his hands, swings some more, _I am only getting wetter by the second._ He leans his head on the door, lifts his head, all while getting more and more anxious.

And then a long-haired omega pulls the door open, Seokjin stares at her with his mouth open, she also curiously peers back at him. Then her beautiful face breaks out into a blinding smile.

‘Hi’ she says excitedly. Something crashes inside Seokjin, he hasn’t heard a greeting, an acknowledgment, something which is not an order or an insult, in such a long time. No one’s even directed a genuine smile at him in such a long time. All the hurt he is harboured, all the sadness he is carried, erupts. Seokjin, suddenly and involuntarily, breaks down in front of a stranger from a rival pack.

In the parlour of the heat home she runs, Yongsun was finishing her scheduled cleaning for the evening when she first smelt it, the faint smell then grew thicker and thicker, there was no way her instincts could ignore it anymore, so she slowly walked towards the source.

Yongsun’s skill as an omega healer is heavily dependent on her strong sense of smell. Years of working with omegas, distressed omegas, has trained her talent to become the unbeatable skill she has today. This skill has brought her the position of being Caretaker of the Valley Pack’s Heat Home. Solar knew when an Omega was not doing well, she just knew. So she stood at her door, waiting for the knock. She cannot help anyone who doesn’t seek it.

When the knock came, she had swung the door with a little too much enthusiasm. She did not expect the strong onslaught of the foul smell. It was like opening the door to a garden of dead, rotten flowers, but Yongsun is a professional and she never lets on things that she senses unless in a diagnosis. So she smiles at the half-wet omega, and says a friendly ‘hi’. But then, suddenly much to Yongsun’s concern, the male omega bursts into tears, burying his face into his hands and shoulders racking with the sobs. He cries so bitterly that it breaks Yongsun’s heart. _If an asshole alpha is involved in this, I’ll rip a new one, whoever that motherfucker is._

Her nurturing instincts doesn’t let her keep her hands to herself, she reaches past the threshold of the door and places a comforting hand on the crying omega’s shoulder. But to her shock, the omega cries harder. Noticing that he is still getting wet from the rain, Yongsun pulls him inside, under her roof. Without much force, the omega takes stumbling steps in and leans back into the wall adjacent the door and keeps crying. And Yongsun removes her hand as soon as possible, afraid of further upsetting him.

Yongsun knows that her pheromones should be thick in the air trying to calm the distressed omega, but nothing can beat down the smell of the rotten flowers. She checks his body for any marks or bites to indicate an attack, but there is nothing there, not even an Alpha stink. The omega having cried harder when Yongsun greeted and touched him, she was coming up short as to what to do for him, she really wanted to help him. Yongsun was always action-oriented, never good at words, comforting words were her mate’s department. Talking of the mate, _Where is Moonbyul?_

Yongsun takes a few tentative steps away from the omega to peep into the door which leads to the central corridor. Moonbyul is usually around here somewhere. On not sighting her mate, Yongsun starts whisper-shouting

‘Byul-ah, Byul-ah, where are you?’ as if clockwork, her silver-haired mate peeps out of a room attached to the corridor.

‘What?’ she whisper-shouts back, mirroring Yongsun with a mischievous smile.

‘Come here, quick’ sensing some urgency, Moonbyul walks out to her mate and slides a hand around her waist, but before she can finish that action, Moonbyul stiffens with a whiff of rotten flowers.

‘What hap-‘ Moonbyul stops mid-sentence at the sight of the crying omega, who has crumbled down on his feet at the door and is struggling to breathe through his hiccuping sobs. ‘Get some warm water and a washcloth, Yong-ah’

Yongsun breathes out a sigh in relief, she trusts her mate, Moonbyul will deal with this. All Yongsun will have to do is help her.

Seokjin calms down, noticing his surroundings. He opens his eyes to the feeling of a warm wetness on his limbs and the slow, firm and comforting pressure of a well-used washcloth. The breakdown subsides naturally. When he lifts his blotched face out of his arms, there are two female omegas curiously peering at him. The exchange a look and then they smiling kindly at him, like they are genuinely happy that he has stopped crying.

‘Hi’ he tells the omega who opened the door for him and greeted him like a friend. She has long black hair which nearly brushes her waist, and the softest of features etched on glowing skin, _the omegas from the valley look really healthy_ Seokjin thinks. The other omega, who has been using the washcloth on him, has fairer skin and silver hair with the faintest hint of violet in it. Collectively, they smell of lily of the valley and lavender, a perfect mix of floral scents, a mix so perfect… that it can only indicate that the two are _Mates?_ Seokjin’s eyes naturally go to their marked necks. Matching mating marks confirm his thought. This is something he hasn’t ever seen before, so the disbelief makes him search for their fingers. They bear matching carved wooden rings, very similar to the metal ones the wolves from the Beyond use to signify a perfect union. _How are two omegas mates?_ Seokjin thinks, completely taken aback by this information.

Moonbyul cannot help drawing in a quick unintelligible breath when the omega lifts his head out of his arms, she gives her mate a knowing look. The smell of rotten flowers makes absolute sense to her now. Any untrained eye can pick out the thick pale under the natural tan skin of this omega. Moonbyul, with the knowledge and experience she has in taking care of omegas knows it is a sick pale, a deadly pale. The rough-textured hair, the lack of lustre to it, tells her of at least a couple of years of prolonged starvation. His face, with the dark circles under his sunken eyes, tell of a recent intense travel with little to no sleep. The blue veins at the temple of his head, tells of sickness, omega sickness with loss. _But what loss did this beautiful omega have?_ Because underneath it all Moonbyul could not deny the exquisite beauty the wolf before her is. His proportions, from the shape of his greyish eyes to the length of the bridge of his nose were perfect. He has wide shoulders and a tapering waist, impeccably filling all beauty standards of a male omega.

Meanwhile, Yongsun, sharp as she is notices where the male omega’s eyes goes. First the initial shock at her mateship, then the look for confirmation on her neck and finger. She is used to this shocked curiosity, this strange omega will not be the first one to be so at Byul’s and her relationship. This confirms Yongsun’s suspicions too, this wolf is not one of theirs, he is an outsider, there is no omega among the Valley wolves who Yongsun doesn’t know, who doesn’t know of Yongsun and Moonbyul.

_So who is this omega? Why is he here? What happened to him?_


	8. The Curious Case of a Green-haired alpha

Taehyung had left Namjoon’s office right after his hyungs had locked up. He had two solid hours before their dinner at the pack halls. Taehyung stood near the fork-like junction, one way leads to his home and to the central area of the pack grounds. Ideally, he should rest but he is too anxious to stay in a closed space by himself. He could just hang out with Jimin, but he also doesn’t want to cut down on the time Jimin has with his other friends.

A drizzle starts, the first of this monsoon, the wet earth and the scent of fresh rain smelling a lot like Namjoon on a calm day, it’s comforting. Taehyung turns his head towards the falling rain, letting the drops splatter on his face, he can’t help but feel a little loved. Taehyung wonders whether he is getting too wet but he pacifies himself _just a little rain, I can change clothes later_. For now he decides he will go somewhere he finds a little comfort. Taehyung has a small smile playing on his face at the thought of meeting Wheein and all the gossip she’ll have for him, it’s been a while since Taehyung saw her.

Taehyung walks towards the strategically secluded hut, the assigned heat home of the pack. The warm bulb flickers out front making the silly paint job he helped to choose colours for all the more silly. Taehyung takes the side path towards the back entrance, he is pretty sure Hyejin will be waiting there despite the rain to walk Wheein back to her hut. The whole pack drew amusement from the weird courting between the two. Both the wolves, born in the same year as him, were his close friends.

Wheein was scrubbing the kitchen counter in the rhythm of her own humming of some song Hyejin kept singing. Suddenly, Yongsun unnie is rushing past her towards the sink. She pulls out a washcloth from the cupboard and pours out some of the hot water they keep on the lit hearth. This was a usual sight for Wheein, so she went about her humming/cleaning and Yongsun rushed back to whichever omega’s room she came from.

When she had finished her assigned work in the kitchen, Wheein was ready to leave. Hyejin must already be waiting for her despite the strong rain _That stupid alpha and her posturing_. Wheein thinks with an endearingly stupid smile on her face. She is supposed to inform the moon-sun unnies before she gets off work, so Wheein goes in search of them. When they are nowhere to be found in the omega quarters at the back of the heat home, Wheein decides to check the front parlour.

And then the smell hits her like her stinky truck, a distressed omega, no doubt but the stink is much stronger than usual. She couldn’t help but be a little alarmed. There was a familiar mix of comforting pheromones of lily of the valley and lavender in the air, so Wheein knew her unnies were taking care of the omega. It was not really her place, Wheein being only a training healer, an apprentice, but she wanted to check-in, just to make sure if there is anything she could do for the poor thing, so she slowly edged towards the doorway to the parlour and peeked.

The omega had slowly lifted his haggard face and said ‘hi’ to Yongsun and then to Moonbyul just as Wheein had peeped. Wheein knows every omega in the pack, even the wandering members. But even though he isn’t one of theirs, she knows her unnies cannot turn away a distressed omega, pack differentiation don’t count with things like that.

On seeing Wheein, the omega lifts his face to her momentarily in shock and then smiles at her weakly. It is a kind smile, Wheein always liked smiles like that. But she is too shy to return it, so she hides behind the door, making the male omega smile widen. Yongsun, sensing someone behind turns to discover Wheein at the door. The older omega then gets up from the floor, startling the male omega a little. Yong then comes to stand with Wheein behind the door.

‘Wheein’ She whispers out of the earshot of the male omega. ‘Warn the other omegas in the house, tell them clearly that there is a distressed omega and there is no need to panic. We are on it and he’ll be alright soon, okay?’

Wheein nods, this is as much for her as for the other omegas. Yongsun was asking her and all the other omegas to stay put. Omegas are instinctually caring creatures, a distressed fellow omega will create a strong natural need to nurture, even though the said omega might want some space. As Wheein moves to the omega quarters, Yongsun catches hold of her elbow to halt her.

‘Also, sent out a message to Hoseok or Taehyung. Didn’t the mountain wolves come in today? I think he is one of them. They shouldn’t start anything, accusing us when one of theirs are missing.’ Yongsun’s jaw is set a certain way, Wheein knows her unnie is not pleased with something.

After the nearly silent ‘hi’ the omega looks like he has ran out of words to say, so Moonbyul takes it upon herself to talk.

‘Hi to you too’ Moonbyul says, her tone half cooing in her instinct to comfort. The male omega had smiled big at Wheein who must have probably did something cute, it is nearly impossible not to like Wheein at first sight. Then he had taken to looking around the room in wonder, his eyes asking questions for him and Moonbyul takes to answering them first. ‘You are in a heat home, our pack maintains one to provide shelter and care for unmated omegas who are going through their heat, or to any sick wolves’

The omega’s eyes widen at this and then he tilts his head as if he is hearing her language for the first time.

Seokjin cannot help but like the fact that he has not been asked who he is or where he is from out front. Those particular aspects has always been of much importance among the hierarchical Mountain wolves. Instead, here there is an understanding as to what he wants to know, without him even having to ask, even though he is the one who barged into their space to begin with. Seokjin really cannot comprehend the other omega’s explanation as to what this place itself is, he has never heard of such a concept before. But before he can let the curiosity get the better of him, he says what is to be said. 

‘Urm… my name is Seokjin’ he berates himself for sounding like a pup trying to learn to speak, the omega before him nods appreciatively, urging him to continue. ‘I am not from the valley’ getting the most basic thing out so he doesn’t deceive the wolves who had showed him only kindness. Seokjin knows he is being a complete inconvenience to them especially considering how this is a sounds like a medical facility.

‘Nice to meet you Seokjin, I am Moonbyul’ the silver-haired omega tells him. Now that the other omegas have moved away, Seokjin can tell that Moonbyul is the one who smells like lavender, _what a comforting scent_. 'That is Yongsun, she runs this heat home. We are both healers and we are also mates.’ She confirms Seokjin’s analysis from earlier. Then again there is no question as to where Seokjin is from, like they are consciously letting him take his own pace with telling them about himself. As much as he is curious of them, he will pay them the same respect, he decides to not ask questions, especially about this curious omega-omega bond.

‘It honestly doesn’t matter to us whether you are from the valley or not, we run a heat home, not a Valley wolves’ heat home, we are open to all omegas who need help’ Yongsun takes her seat beside Moonbyul on the ground again. ‘So don’t worry, you can stay here for a while’ Yongsun finishes addressing the elephant question in the room.

Seokjin thinks he better understands what Moonbyul meant when she said heat homes, the comfort here is unconditionally given by omegas for omegas.

‘Can I touch you?’ Yongsun asks tentatively. ‘Your smell is really kicking in all of my comfort instincts and I think it will help you calm down a little more’

_Oh I must stink_ Seokjin thinks. It is a strange request, but Seokjin has heard from his healer grandmother of a time when omega instincts were as well developed as an alpha’s, when omegas being the default caretakers and nurturers of the pack took to healing, comforting and caring instinctually rather than for convenience of the pack. Strange as it may sound in his times, Seokjin decides to give in, to not play the healer and caretaker for once.

He nods a yes.

As soon as he approves, Yongsun moves almost like she is falling over herself to get closer to him. But when she lifts her hand to touch him, she is very careful not to startle him again. Seokjin cowers at first, but he is soon leaning into the touch and Yongsun smiles. Moonbyul clearly knows how her mate feels a very innate need to comfort a distressed omega, it was not only a central part of Yongsun’s personality but also the foundation for her calling for medicine and healing.

Moonbyul’s comforting instincts are strong too, but her background varies in how her parents were not as heavily affectionate as Yongsun’s so she can hold back better than her mate. She looks on at the whole interaction with a small smile. Seokjin smells better by the minute, the rotten smell in the air cleaning a little by little.

Seokjin realises that he desperately wants to talk, to savour this chance at having a conversation. But he is oddly out of practice. Having not had an opportunity to speak to the wolves around him other than in matters concerning medicine for a few long years now, he feels he can’t make small talk anymore. _What do wolves talk about in a normal conversation?_ Seokjin rakes his brain for a starter, even though the silence is not oppressive.

Eventually the comforting pheromones in the air overpower the slowly fading rotten stink. Yongsun and Moonbyul gradually moves in closer and closer. Seokjin’s head at one point is on Yongsun’s shoulder, her hands in his hair and Moonbyul is slow kneading one of his palms.

Wheein peaks in from the door again, seeing or more like, smelling the situation is better, she awkwardly comes forward to say hi. Seokjin sees how she is the shyest among the three wolves, but he also can’t help notice a mischievous glint in her eyes as they observe him back too. ‘Seokjin, right?’ she asks, starting with the obvious, confirming that she was surely eavesdropping on them. Seokjin nods his head. Her gait and that clueless look on her face oddly reminds him of Jungkook. ‘I’m Wheein’ she tells him, his smile widens at how she is as awkward to make conversation as he is.

‘Hi Wheein’ Seokjin says, noticing the hint of an alpha’s musk on her. He doesn’t want to ask, but he finds himself oddly curious. It’s a strange feeling, this curiosity for knowing the wolves around him, he hasn’t really felt that among the mountain wolves. 

Yongsun seems very amused by the interaction, and when she glances at Moonbyul, she knows the feeling is shared. Wheein was one among the trainees that moon-sun duo has taken in. Wheein like Jimin was one among the pups who lost her parents to the fur-eating epidemic, she followed around Yongsun as a pup. When Yong took up charge of the heat home, Wheein hung around and helped. Yongsun took to teaching her small things and eventually Wheein took to healing. The younger omega was never on the talkative side always a little on the mumbling, bumbling side until Hyejin came around.

‘Hyejinie said she’ll rip a new one to any alpha that hurt you’ Wheein slowly spells out to Seokjin, who is so taken aback by the statement. But Yongsun and Moonbyul bursts out laughing. He turns to Wheein, sees a small smile building there and decides to laugh along a little _. It’s nice to know,_ _that this Hyejinie is ready to rip a new one for me?_

‘Did you run out to meet her in the back, Wheeinie?’ Yongsun asks, leaning more into Seokjin. Wheein sits on the floor across them demurely.

‘Yeah’ Wheein says, her voice small and shy. She lowers her head and Seokjin can’t help think she is cute. ‘She brought me a rabbit to roast today’ Wheein giggles at the end of the sentence. Moonbyul and Yongsun laughs more at this statement, but Seokjin sits there clueless.

‘Oh oh, we _have_ to tell Seokjin the Wheein-Hyejin thing. Everyone in our pack knows already’ Yongsun tells Seokjin with a flourish of her hand. Moonbyul turns to him more, lifting a hand to pat his cheek gently, muttering _cute_ at his wide-eyed expression. ‘Hyejin is one of our strongest alphas, and she is hopelessly in love with our emotionally constipated cute little Wheein here.’ Wheein protests with a _hey I am not little_ but everybody ignores her. Yongsun continues ‘She courts this LITTLE idiot sooo much without knowing that this moron is in love with her too, everyone is so sick of this weird mating dance, but it is killjoy to let Hyejin know so we all collectively decided to let them pine and whine.’

Wheein, somewhere in the middle of this explanation rushes in to land a few slaps on Yongsun, a few of which falls on Seokjin too, but he is too busy laughing. Moonbyul tries to protect Seokjin, but by the end of all the push and pull all four of them are a massive tangle of wolves on the floor.

Moonbyul sees the slow but steady change in Seokjin’s demeanour, his spine slowly straightens and his head does not lie low anymore. She knows nothing of his past, but there is a practiced strength in how the wolf mentally gets up and brushes himself off, and gets ready to face his reality. When all of them quite down after the commotion, Seokjin on feeling that he owes them a better explanation, despite how they have not really asked anything of him till now, decides to talk. He is still intruding, and he clearly knows that he does not belong here.

‘Er…’ the sound silences the bickering omegas, all of their heads turn towards him putting him in a nervous spot, but he gulps down air and starts speaking again. ‘I just wanted to say that I am really thankful for this, but I still think an apology is due. I’m sorry for barging in like this into your heat home and I think the least of what I owe you is an explanation’ Seokjin takes another deep breathe. ‘I came with Min Yoongi’s entourage of Mountain wolves. I was taking a walk around your pack’s grounds and it started raining suddenly. I didn’t want to get wet, that’s why I decided to come in. I am really sorry’

_Ah, I was right, so he is one from the Mountain Wolves._ Yongsun keeps her thoughts to herself. When the talkative omegas doesn’t reply to him, Seokjin looks at each one of them anxiously. Moonbyul notices how there is something in his eyes begging them to not kick him out yet.

‘I am really sorry for causing all this inconvenience, I will take my leave now, I am sorry’ Seokjin says, as he slowly tries to detangle and leave. The sounds from outside the hut tell him that the rain is still going very strong, but Seokjin doesn’t want to stay on any longer if he is unwelcome. _I’ve made this so awkward_ Seokjin blames himself. Moonbyul thinks he apologises too much.

‘You can stay on for a little while longer you know, the rain is pretty bad right now’ Moonbyul tells tentatively.

‘Yeah, you can’ Yongsun chimes in, she was lost in thought of how none of the things the omega said were an explanation to his strong distress. ‘The omegas here have already been told about a newcomer, there is not really an inconvenience at all, I think they are even expecting you to be around at this point’

Seokjin is momentarily torn, but he knows deep down that he wants to stay. Not because the rain will wet him and ruin his only pair of clothes, but because he likes it here, _a little_. Seokjin lets out a breath he seemed to have held for some time. He smiles at her gratefully before muttering a thanks with his head lowered. Yongsun and Moonbyul look at each other, _who will start asking the questions?_ If the couple ever has disagreements it is on small things like these. Wheein sits beside them, playing with a small strand of her hair, a tone of worry in her gardenia scent.

‘I had guessed you were one among the mountain wolves’ Yongsun begins, Seokjin nods. ‘Your pack must be looking for you, they might even think some harm has come to you. So I had asked Wheein to send out a message to our pack omega or Kim Taehyung who must have brought you into pack grounds?’

Seokjin nods again despite knowing his pack won’t be really looking for him. He does remember Kim Taehyung. The green-haired alpha who smelled of blossoming apple trees of the valley, his alpha musk a sweet undertone, nothing oppressive. As far as Seokjin’s eyes could discern, Kim was a curious alpha. He held himself in an open-chest prideful display of dominance and a wide stance, but there was something practiced rather than natural about it in its textbook perfection. Kim looked like he was around Jungkook’s age, but as an alpha he was mature _and something about him is gentle._ Seokjin decides.

His interaction with the beta was what piqued Seokjin’s interest. It was obvious that inviting the guests was Kim’s job, but he also valued the opinion of someone in a lower gender, who he had called “trusted friend”. Seokjin has observed the functioning of two major packs and genuine inter-gender equal friendships like this one is rare.

Seokjin had known of the differences between the packs he knew personally and the valley wolves way before he even became Min’s mate. He did go through the initial training to become alpha of the wolves of The Beyond. History and customs were as important a part of his instruction as martial arts. But nothing could have prepared him for everything he was encountering here. Heat homes and Gentle alphas will be the least worrisome of these differences.

Seokjin shakes his head to bring his attention back to the question at hand. He is honestly a little miffed _how long have I been here? They already had time to send out word? Why does time fly when I am feeling okay?_ He knows it won’t be good when the Valley wolves inform the Mountain wolves that their precious healer omega from the Beyond is safe among the valley wolves. It’s like saying your trump card is safe with the enemy pack, thank you. Also, the Mountain wolves might not actually care about Seokjin, but one of their omegas being among the rival pack will hurt their ego. Seokjin does not want to deal with the consequences of that.

‘Urm, can you not do that? Not let them know?’ Seokjin asks, his tone heavy on embarrassment and guilt. ‘I would rather you don’t inform my pack’

There is no need for a decision to be made here, Moonbyul nods at Wheein who gets up and leaves to alter the arrangements according to Seokjin’s wishes. Seokjin just hopes that Wheein is not too late, that the mountain wolves does not already know where he is. 

Yongsun waits for more information from Seokjin, but when nothing comes from him, she gives Moonbyul another pointed look. _Now you ask the questions, it’s your turn._ Seokjin sees the exchanged looks and knows that questions are coming his way soon, so before either of the omegas can breach the considerably long silence, he decides to take the upper hand in an attempt to have a semblance of control over this situation.

‘I am a healer too’ Seokjin blurts out, when he notices he has their attention, he decides to continue calmly. ‘I am actually from the beyond, I mated into the Mountain wolves pack.’ Wheein walks in hearing most of the second part of the sentence.

‘Yeah, that makes sense’ Wheein mutters. When she notices everyone is looking at her, she stumbles for an explanation. ‘I mean, you don’t get much sun in the mountains right, but you have a dark skin, so I was thinking that maybe you are not from the mountains?’ she smiles apologetically. Seokjin smiles right back, moving a hand out of Moonbyul’s to gently pat Wheein on her head. It’s a good start Seokjin believes. If he leads the conversation then he only has to give out information he wants to give out.

‘You had said this was a heat home?’ Seokjin asks Moonbyul, the words still feeling strange in his mouth. ‘I am not familiar with such a setup, if it’s not too much to ask, can you explain this to me?’

‘Yeah sure, I can.’ Moonbyul sits up a little. ‘Heat homes are primarily safe spaces built for omegas who are going through their heat.’ Moonbyul answers with ease. Yongsun sits curiously observing the slow change in Seokjin’s scent. The distress is wearing away completely now, the scent underneath is floral but some flower Yongsun cannot recognise, something _exotic._ ‘But we also house omegas who are not feeling well or want a space away from their families for a while. Yongsun and I are both fully trained healers specialising in omega care so we also act as midwives in the pack’

‘Oh wow, I have never seen such a system before, this is all very new to me’ Seokjin’s words slip out while his mind works hard to process what he is heard. Then Seokjin slowly pieces what all this could entail. ‘So are you telling me that omegas can choose **not** to spend heats around alpha pheromones at all?’ he has never come across such an idea, its possibilities! _Wait, what about the health implications_ ‘But doesn’t omegas get very sick if they don’t spend their heats with alphas?’

Yongsun and Moonbyul exchanges another look, Wheein slowly slips out again. It was quite clear earlier that the Mountain wolves do not treat their omegas as well as they should, but Yongsun is angrier about the regressive medical knowledge that has been created to add to that. _Aren’t wolves in the Beyond in contact with the humans? How come they also don’t teach this simple thing to their healers?_

‘Most packs in the valley has had this system for at least three generations now. We had also once believed that omegas are not supposed to spend heats without an alpha’ Moonbyul directs the sentence more at her angry mate than at Seokjin. ‘But it does not give omegas enough space to choose partners as most of them prefer to stay with one partner, mostly alphas, all of their lives. Our omega grandparents had discovered that the pain and the sickness can be relieved with a simple herb recipe’

‘So yes, omegas does have the choice and will forever have the choice to spend heats away from alphas. It is never mandatory’ There is a sort of angry, authoritarian tone to Yongsun’s words, Moonbyul understands it. Not all packs treat their omegas as the Valley wolves do and nothing enrages Yongsun more than ill-treated omegas. Seokjin sees through the defensiveness, to where her tone itself is coming from. This particular aspect is what has allowed for their omega-omega bond and mateship to happen. When its not an imperative, there is more space for a choice. ‘I am guessing your pack has categorically told you that as soon as you have heats you should push out pups’ Yongsun finishes with scorn, looking away from Seokjin for the first time.

Seokjin knows better than to feel hurt at Yongsun’s harsh words. If he has been denied this knowledge just so he will make more pups for his pack, then he is angry for his own mistreatment, for how he has as a healer had been used for the mistreatment of other omegas.

‘Omegas in the mountains choose their alpha or beta partners before their heats even starts and spends it thoroughly with the partners only. At the Beyond, where I am from, we are allowed to spend it alone, but we are isolated far from the pack and left alone for days on end. It is too painful, the first heat, that by the second heat omegas will usually have chosen a mate’ Seokjin finishes, the guilt and sadness in his voice is very thick.

‘That is so unfair’ Wheein says at door. ‘Unnies, Sunmi unnie wanted to come see the new sad omega’ As soon as the words slip out, Wheein looks guilty, she apologetically smiles at Seokjin and he winks back to tell her it’s alright. _I am a sad omega, she is not wrong._

‘Are you okay with another wolf here Seokjin?’ Yongsun asks, her voice clear of all the earlier anger. ‘It’s your call, and I’ll let you know that Sunmi is especially clingy, her heat just got over’

Seokjin wouldn’t mind more skinship, actually Seokjin would appreciate it. He’ll take all the affection he can while he is here, it simply feels good even though he is not used to it.

‘Yeah, I am okay. They can come’ Seokjin mutters, takes a pause and then says unsurely ‘if they want to’

And that’s how some twenty minutes later, the heat home parlour is full with omegas sprawled on the floor like it is a huge slumber party. There are multiple conversations going on, someone one is comparing howls with someone else and Seokjin is somehow in the middle of all this, not as a spectator, but as a participant. This Sunmi noona, because she insisted that he call her that, just like Yongsun had warned him, is clingy. She is wrapped around him like a Koala bear. Moonbyul and Yongsun had stuck close to him but they were having a heated conversation with a male omega whose name Seokjin couldn’t remember if his life depended on it. _Too many wolves were introduced to me in such a short span of time, what am I to do._ He hasn’t had a conversation with all that many wolves here but there was a sense of community, he didn’t need to be actively participating, but they made him feel like he was one of theirs.

In the back of Seokjin’s mind he knew he will have to leave soon, the rain has become a slow drizzle and the meeting would start soon. Seokjin will have to ask around to find his way back to the huts his pack were housed in, there is no way he will be able to figure it out on his own.

In the haggle of scents in the room, Seokjin’s senses suddenly zeroes in on something familiar, _it’s an alpha_ Seokjin’s gets a little alarmed in the revelation that a familiar alpha is here. He doesn’t know a lot of nice alphas, and he is right to be a little scared. He tries to be as subtle as possible as he takes in multiple whiffs from the air around him, he also looks around for a face to the alpha scent.

In the same moment Seokjin’s eyes fall on the green-haired crown of a head, he also recognises the apple wood scent. He feels a pair of eyes on, somebody moves a little out of the way and sitting straight opposite to him is Kim Taehyung, his gaze on Seokjin as curious as Seokjin’s gaze on the alpha.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave comments, it's what keeps me going. Thanks for reading


	9. Information

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> First of all, hi, i am sorry.

Outside the back door of the heat home Hyejin sits on a tree stump waiting for Wheein, just like Taehyung had expected. Taehyung approaches her as she sits stone-faced, accusatorily glaring at the skies as the raindrops splatters squarely on her face. _Weather forecast predicts typical Hyejin behaviour today_ Taehyung thinks as he sits beside her on the wet ground.

‘There is a really distressed omega in there today’ Hyejin tips her chin towards the heat home. ‘Doesn’t smell like the usual breakup fare’

‘Damn’ Taehyung mutters as he settles down.

‘I caught her a rabbit today’ Hyejin says, tone forcefully flippant. She brings out a skinned carcass from behind the stump. Taehyung tries to hide the shit-eating grin on his face. Hyejin shoves him away right when he is about to tease her.

‘Good catch’ Taehyung says, chuckling at his choice of words. ‘I am sure she’ll like it’

The subject of their conversation walks out the back door then. Wheein is initially taken aback by Taehyung’s presence, but then she looks glad. The smile she reserves for Hyejin is something else. Beelining for the alpha on the stump, Wheein scents her while Hyejin lovingly wraps her arms around the omega. Taehyung is so tired of lovers today. He tunes out as they coo at each other. _It’s my fate to be a third wheel all day every day, where is Jimin?_

When they are finally let each other go, Taehyung looks up from the drawing he was making on the muddy ground. ‘I am glad you are here Taehyung-ah’

‘Yes, thanks for noticing me’ Taehyung says with a playful smirk which he gets a kick in the side for. He turns to both of them in mock shock on his face, they duly ignore him.

‘I was going to send Hyejin to you’ Wheein says, a little breathless as she swings on her feet. She stinks of something unfamiliar. Taehyung sobers up.

‘Why, what’s up?’ Taehyung slowly gets to his feet, his expression serious now. ‘Hyejin said there was a distressed omega’

‘Yeah, I could smell it from when I passed the front door.’ Hyejin adds. ‘Was there an alpha involved?’

‘Nah nah, he doesn’t stink of Alpha.’ Wheein pats Hyejin’s shoulder and turns to Taehyung fully. ‘Yongsun unnie asked me to let you know that this one might be one of the Mountain wolves, he is definitely not ours’

A small anxious tremble runs through Taehyung, he knows who it is. He doesn’t know how many omegas were among the 12 Mountain Wolves who came in today. There wasn’t the slightest hint of a scent from any of them, but that doesn’t matter. He just knows.

‘What happened to him?’ Hyejin asks before Taehyung’s mind can stop racing, drawing the worst conclusions already.

‘We don’t know anything yet. He is still crying pretty hard, we’ll have to give him some time to calm down. The whole place stinks of something rotten and rancid’ Wheein replies, moving closer to Hyejin unconsciously for the comfort in the alpha’s scent.

‘Shouldn’t we let his pack know that he is safe?’ Hyejin asks, characteristic of her protective alpha instincts.

‘Yeah, that’s what Yongsun unnie wanted, we don’t want any trouble with them right?’ Wheein turns to Taehyung again, pushing him out of his silent reverie. She is asking him to make the final call as he is responsible for the guests of their pack.

‘Yeah, we should, ideally.’ Taehyung takes a moment ‘But what did he want? The omega? Did he ask to let them know?’ Taehyung hates himself a little for asking this without following usual protocol. From Wheein’s immediate expression he knows that the question was never posed to begin with

‘Urm, I don’t think he has had the space to tell anything’ Wheein replies, her tone hesitant. ‘I wasn’t there when he came in. So I’m not sure. I’ll go in and ask?’

‘Yeah, we should definitely ask first’ Taehyung mutters. He doesn’t like this. It could fuck up all of Hoseok’s careful planning.

‘Maybe he is upset over something with his pack? Taehyung is right, we should ask him first?’ Hyejin agrees, while pulling her waist-long hair into tight knot on the top of her head, as if she is readying herself to deal with some trouble. ‘If it’s any help, tell him that if anyone messed with him, I’ll rip a new one for whoever that motherfucker is’ Wheein has an endeared smile on her face as she drops a kiss on the alpha’s cheek for her efforts before walking back into the heat home.

After Wheein goes in, Taehyung sorts through his thoughts as he paces back and forth behind the heat home. Why was the omega distressed? _His grey eyes looked sad today._ Has the mountain wolves noticed that their precious omega healer is missing? Probably yes. _Oh I hope to damned hell that Min doesn’t throw a fit._ Min will, if they come to know. _How long till they notice?_ He knows that informing them couldn’t really go any better. In fact, it could go so wrong, so what’s the turnaround? _Information._ “The healer omega of The Beyond” Taehyung voices out. Anything the omega says can be information. But then, Taehyung cannot help wonder whether it is right of him to think of extracting information at the expense of another wolf’s breakdown. His thoughts buzz around in his head for a while, but he knows he will have to wait for answers.

Taehyung picks up a conversation with Hyejin and sits down beside her. She tells him of the new defence training that Hoseok has devised for the alphas on patrol duty. Hyejin has those heart eyes and that admiration-bordering-on-crush expression the pack usually has when they talk about Hoseok, Taehyung is used to it. It’s been some time since Taehyung went for said training. Hyejin tells him that the other alphas misses him and his trickery on the field. Taehyung laughs at that. Hyejin does most of the talking, Taehyung just nods along. When she demonstrating the new headlock they are learning, Wheein walks out the back door again, Taehyung’s back shoots up, straightening in alert.

‘He doesn’t want to let them know’ Wheein says as she crouches before them.

‘Did he tell why?’ Hyejin asks before Taehyung can react.

‘No. Don’t want to hurt their alpha egos probably, he looked a little scared, poor thing’ Wheein sounds a little sad as she shuffles around. ‘Anyway, I want to stay around for a bit more’ she directs at Hyejin ‘Don’t feel like going home yet’

Hyejin nods, looking a little dejected, still hiding the rabbit.

‘He still hasn’t said why he was distressed?’ Taehyung knows he is pushing, but curiosity gets the better of him.

‘TaeTae, he will tell us if he wants us to know. Just because we comforted him doesn’t mean he owe us anything’ Wheein’s voice is small, but her tone is insistent. Taehyung probably shouldn’t have asked.

‘I’m sorry’ Taehyung lowers his head a little feeling chastised, Wheein hums. ‘If Wheein is staying a little longer, Hyejin-ah would you mind running by Hoseok’s hut and letting him know about this? We have to give him a heads-up’

‘Yeah, I’ll do that. His official hut or the private one on the edge?’ Hyejin asks as she gets up to leave. Pack hierarchy places Taehyung above Hyejin.

‘Hmm… go to the private one first?’ Taehyung suggests. ‘It looked like they’ll be there. Let him know the Mountain wolves’ omega came to us-‘

‘Seokjin’ Wheein directs the Alphas before her. ‘His name is Seokjin’

Taehyung silently rolls the name around in his mouth before continuing.

‘Yeah, Seokjin came to us distressed and?’ Taehyung looks to Wheein, urging for a clearer report to pass on to their pack omega.

Wheein summarises the evening’s events quickly. And then she drops another kiss on Hyejin’s cheek, sending her off. ‘Sunmi unnie had asked whether she can come comfort Seokjin, I’ll have to go in ask before she breaks out of her room or something’ she pats Taehyung’s shoulder and moves towards the hut.

‘I’ll wait here’ Taehyung calls to her as she walks away.

She turns to him before she opens the door, eyebrow quirking in a _Why?_

Taehyung sits on the now empty tree stump as the rain pours on him. It’s a while before Hyejin returns.

‘What did he say?’ Taehyung asks before she can sit down.

‘Nothing much, just nodded along. Said he’ll talk to Yongsun unnie and you before dinner.’ Hyejin shrugs.

They recede into a comfortable silence as the rain pitter-patters around them. Hyejin playfully splashes him with the water she collects in her palm, but Taehyung doesn’t retaliate except with a boxy smile here and there. She knows something is worrying him, but Hyejin isn’t the type to ask, even though Taehyung wishes she was.

When Wheein comes out for the third time, she skips across the lawn with the widest smile.

‘He’s soo beautiful when he smiles, oh my Moons, his jaw could cut me and his shoulders are sooooo wide’ Wheein gushes, as she gestures wildly with her hands. ‘And his waist, damn I wish I had a waist like that, so small, Hyejinie, shooo small. He should definitely eat more food.’ she finishes with a pout and a sigh.

Hyejin who had looked initially a little jealous at all the attention the new omega was getting, now stares starry-eyed at Wheein’s cute gestures. Taehyung just watches the two of them for a minute. Sometimes he really wished he had someone to be wrapped up.

‘Is he okay now?’ Taehyung asks carefully.

Wheein swings Taehyung’s arm. ‘Yes Tae, definitely yes. He smells a lot better now, the attention is doing him good. All the omegas came out, it’s like we are throwing another winter slumber party in there.’ Her voice rising an octave with every sentence.

‘Babe, you want me to head home? You can stay if you want?’ Hyejin suggests albeit a little ruefully, as she pushes stray strands of her hair off her face.

‘No no, we have pack dinner to go to, Yongsun unnie is supposed to be there’ Wheein tells Hyejin. Then she pauses, her head straightening as if stricken by a thought and then she gestures to them. ‘You know what y’all shouldn’t sit in this rain anymore, strong alphas and all that, flu makes you ugly’ Hyejin whines in a very un-alpha manner at the word ugly directed at her. ‘Not you, Hyejinie. I was talking about Tae.’ Taehyung rolls his eyes ‘You both want to come in?’

‘Yeah, I’ll go’ Taehyung says a little too immediately. He hopes the other two will put it up to how wet he is.

‘Me too’ Hyejin mutters where she has buried her face in Wheein’s neck.

As soon as they walk in, Wheein hands them towels to dry off. The inside of the heat home smells like a strong mix of omega scents. Taehyung knows it will take him a minute or two to get used to it.

‘Try not to startle him, yeah?’ Wheein says more to Taehyung than to Hyejin. ‘I know you have questions but give him space, also he might not be used to having stranger alphas around him’

Taehyung sighs, and then he nods. _I shouldn’t push too much_

‘You know where the front room is, go on. I’ll go see if there is enough cocoa for some hot chocolate to go around’ Wheein finishes. Hyejin obviously follows her as she walks ahead to the kitchen area.

When Taehyung sits down on the floor of the heat home’s front room, a few of the wolves around him acknowledges him but they are all mostly involved in their own conversations. Taehyung doesn’t feel like small talk so he keeps to himself.

Among the familiar mix, one scent stands out to him. Taehyung’s alpha nose, that of a good hunter’s, finds the general area of the source quickly. Someone moves out of the way, and those sad greyish eyes fall on him. They widen a little with recognition, then there is that familiar curiosity overshadowed by fear. _Those eyes tell_ Taehyung holds his gaze for a while, both of them observing the other. Noise around the alpha fades out, his sole focus on the wolf before him. Taehyung will belatedly notice that it is very similar to a full moon run.

Then the omega attempts a smile. It is not much. He tremblingly widens his lips. But Taehyung feels blinded by it. Wheein was right. The omega might look tired, bordering on starved, but his face is nothing short of angelic. The smiling brings Taehyung’s eyes to his lips.

_Why didn’t Wheein say nothing about his lips? They look so… cushiony. Full._

Taehyung drags his eyes to his own hands suddenly, purposefully breaking the contact. All the noise around him rushes back to him in sudden wave. He shakes his head once, clearing his mind and then he looks up again. The omega meets his gaze, the interest there doubled now. _What does he see?_ His greyish eyes skitter all over Taehyung once before it settles on his face again, his smile is small now, knowing. _What does he know?_

When Kim Taehyung, alpha had broken eye contact with Seokjin, omega, that too to look down, Seokjin knew that there was something different about the alpha. Alphas don’t break eye contact to look away, they never look down, that’s submission. He couldn’t really place him. But something makes the very untrusting Seokjin want to trust this particular green-haired alpha.

Another beat passes, Taehyung notices the rain outside has thinned.

Then as if in a dream, the omega untangles himself from the wolves around him and moves towards Taehyung with purpose in his eyes. Taehyung sits up straight, not knowing what to expect, feeling a little out of depth.

‘Hey’ he says, voice in a tilting note.

‘Hi’ Taehyung breathes out.

Seokjin had figured it out all, quickly. He has to get back to his pack. Earlier in the evening, Kim Taehyung had said he will come to escort them to the Valley wolves pack dinner, so the alpha will be headed to Seokjin’s pack anyway. If these kind omegas trust him, especially inside an establishment which houses omegas in a heat, this alpha should be alright _. Probably? At least it should be okay to walk back with him._ The path back, from what Seokjin remembers is a pretty public one, he should be safe with this alpha.

What Seokjin hadn’t expected was the bewilderment he saw when he addressed the alpha. He immediately feared a reaction to surprising an alpha. _Maybe I shouldn’t have approached him?_ Seokjin thinks he has stepped out of bounds. He berates himself for gaining unnecessary confidence after a little attention from the omegas here. He takes a tentative step back and away, instincts telling him to submit before an attack is lashed out on him for coming off as dominant or challenging.

Taehyung was not expecting the omega to approach him at all. Not that he himself was going to make the move really. He was surprised, a little disoriented even but when the omega takes a scared step back he breaks out of his stupor.

‘Do you need any help?’ Taehyung asks, his voice a little louder than he intended.

The omega half-flinches, then he stops himself.

‘Urm, so I.. can I ask for a favour?’ Seokjin is trembling a little by the time he gets the sentence out. A comforting apple wood musk slowly envelops him where he stands, making him want to breath it all in, to relax into it.

‘Sure’ Taehyung replies enthusiastically, his face splitting in his most winning smile.

Seokjin tries to validate himself in head, _he doesn’t want to attack you, look at that smile. He is friendly._ Seokjin drags a breath in, chest becoming light with the comforting alpha musk.

‘Can you guide me back to the Mountain Wolves’ hut? I don’t think I will be able to find my way back for the life of me’ Seokjin asks, his words all coming in a nervous jumble.

Taehyung begins to chuckle, but it catches in his throat and he stops awkwardly. ‘Yeah, the pack grounds are pretty hard to navigate. I was just about to head out anyway, was waiting for the rain to stop. This wouldn’t even be a favour really’ Taehyung tries smiling at the omega but he has his head lowered. Not giving the slightest hint regarding how he had noticed the omega state the pack’s official name, not claiming it as his own pack, Taehyung decides it is only best if played along. ‘If you had asked me to steal some meat from the kitchens, now that would have been a real favour.’ The words slip out of Taehyung easily. The smile on the omega’s face is genuine as he lifts his face up for Taehyung to see, and his previously crinkled forehead relaxed. ‘Shall we?’ he extends his hand towards the door.

‘In a minute’ Seokjin mutters. _Well that went okay, right?_ He heads to Moon-sun to say his goodbyes. They tell him to come around whenever he feels like it, he just hopes he gets more time with these wolves before Min decides to fuck up.

As they walk out the door, Taehyung tries to muster up a conversation. He thinks a heavy silence will bear down upon the both of them badly. The omega’s breakdown and the subsequent vulnerable position it puts him wouldn’t be easy on him. Taehyung should know.

‘I don’t know if it is rude’ Taehyung speaks up before he thinks it through, which is not his usual habit around stranger wolves. Now he has to continue. ‘Your scent’ Taehyung takes the turning for the centre of pack grounds, and Seokjin falls into step a little behind him.

‘I am sorry, it must have stank up the entire place’ Seokjin apologises immediately, cowering away from Taehyung a little, turning up the short collar of his brown tunic in an attempt to hide his smell. Seokjin still has no idea why his little pebbles of medicine did not work in hiding his scent today, it was something to worry about another time.

Taehyung mentally scolds himself for not being more careful, we slows a beat for the omega to catch up to him. But then the omega slows down with Taehyung, still staying behind.

‘No, that’s not what I was saying’ Taehyung trying to make amends quickly, he slowly turns to the wolf who was walking behind him. The omega peers at him, his head lowered and his spine bent, making his height difference with Taehyung less obvious. _Why does he try so hard to be small?_ ‘What I meant was, your scent is very different from anything I have come across. It smells..’ he racks his brain for the right word ‘exotic’

‘Yeah…’ Seokjin trails off, without knowing what to say to that. He doesn’t like that word, exotic. It makes him feel like some object to have.

Taehyung notices how the omega looks uncomfortable by this whole thing.

‘Is this too intimate a conversation?’ Taehyung quickly asks. ‘Am I making you uneasy?’

 _Intimate_ the word swims around Seokjin’s head. Before Seokjin can shake his head-

‘I’m sorry’ the green-haired alpha apologises quickly. ‘Among our pack, we discuss scents among other things very openly. I forget it’s not so with other packs. I am really sorry’ They still haven’t started walking again, Seokjin doesn’t know why they stopped in the first place.

‘Lotus’ Seokjin says quietly.

Taehyung nearly misses it.

Seokjin has never seen an alpha so quick to apologise.

Taehyung smiles at the image of the flower which his mind conjures up. ‘Wow, those are the pink flowers in the water right?’ Taehyung ventures.

‘Yeah, the one that grows in mud’ Seokjin agrees, albeit a little abashedly. When he is upset, he’s been told he smells like drying slimy pond mud.

‘It’s a nice scent’ the alpha says shyly.

Seokjin chuckles, a little experimental. ‘Yours too, smells like the apple trees in the valley’

Taehyung blushes, Seokjin nearly coos.

‘My name is Seokjin. I’m the healer omega of the Beyond’ he thinks this alpha warrants an introduction. Unlike what he had expected, there is no look of surprise anywhere in the alpha’s face. ‘You knew who I was’ Seokjin states the truth.

‘Yeah’ Taehyung shrugs, _he is quick._

Seokjin, his skills in medicine, was what the Mountain Wolves used as their trump card everywhere. Kim Taehyung, Seokjin knew from the introduction in the valley, held important positions in the pack. _Why didn’t he approach me before I went to him? There was so much he could have asked. Why ask me about my scent? Of all the things?_ Seokjin’s head swims, confusion more than suspicion. _It doesn’t make sense. What is this alpha?_

‘Would you mind walking beside me?’ Taehyung pulls Seokjin out of his thoughts.

_An unusual one_ Seokjin answers his own question. He nods to the strange request.

‘Do you remember my name?’ the green-haired alpha says. Seokjin cannot fail but notice the absence of an entitled tone in the question.

‘I remember’ Seokjin says ‘Kim Taehyung’

A uninvited shiver runs down Taehyung’s spine.

‘Yeah’ Taehyung lowers his head with the small grin on his face, they start walking again. Seokjin hesitantly falls in step beside him, his heart pounding with some unexplainable excitement at walking _beside_ an alpha. 

‘Wheein said…’ Seokjin begins, to turn to the alpha a little, finding that Taehyung is already listening intently. ‘Erm… thanks for not telling my pack?’ he is left feeling unsure of what he wanted to say in the first place.

 _Why?_ Taehyung wants to ask, but he doesn’t. Seokjin expects it, but the question doesn’t come. There is something about these wolves in the valley. Something that Seokjin doesn’t understand, but is starting to like. 

‘We informed our pack omega’ Taehyung doesn’t know why he shares that piece of information. It is almost like he is trying to prove to himself that he did the right thing.

‘That must have been protocol right?’ Seokjin asks rightly.

 _He’s smarter than he sells himself to be._ Taehyung nods.

A beat of silence passes between them as they walk in between huts. The ground has small muddy puddles, sidestepping them occasionally brings the two closer. 

‘What’s he like?’ Seokjin asks tentatively, like he is afraid that the alpha might react badly.

Taehyung quirks up an eyebrow up. _Who?_ There is a serious look on the alpha’s face, Seokjin cannot help feeling a little anxious.

‘Your pack omega’ Seokjin asks.

‘Hyung is nice’ he utters, almost a reflex. Taehyung doesn’t want to make more exceptions for this wolf. ‘You’ll see at the meeting today, he is very... driven, when he is committed’

Seokjin hums at the near-vague descriptions.

Just when Seokjin thinks the rest of their walk will be in silence, Taehyung asks ‘What’s your alpha like?’ tone almost sounding like the question is in obstinate retaliation. Seokjin frowns. He doesn’t know how to answer this, he’s never been asked this.

‘He can be a dick’ Seokjin says quietly, as if he isn’t supposed to. If there is something that the whole evening with the valley wolves has taught him, it is that he can be a little honest here. It feels good to be.

Taehyung is taken aback, but he bursts out laughing, bending over a little as they walk. Seokjin lets himself chuckle a little too. Taehyung slows down a little, knowing that they aren’t a long way from the hut. Some part of him doesn’t want this conversation to end.

‘Yeah, I noticed in the valley today’ Taehyung replies, when the laughter subsides.

‘He is headstrong, but he is loyal’ Seokjin continues.

‘My hyung too’ Taehyung says with a smile on his face. They stop right before a turning which opens to the hut which houses the Mountain Wolves. Both wolves face each other, knowing that this is the end of the walk, coming in together wouldn’t look very good on either of them.

‘Tell them..’ Seokjin looks directly at Taehyung’s eyes for the first time after they have left the heat home. Taehyung reads caution there, but also a strong determination. ‘Tell them to give him a chance’ Taehyung then sees a rush of endearment he doesn’t understand but before he can dwell on it Seokjin lowers his eyes again. 

‘We will’ Taehyung promises, his tone serious. Seokjin smiles at him, this one coming much easier than before. Taehyung nods towards the hut, towards Seokjin’s pack, _Go ahead._ Seokjin takes the turning, lifting his hand up for a small awkward wave. Taehyung’s head buzzes with thoughts all the way back to his hut, he is fidgety as he changes to fresh clothes. The fact he hadn’t extracted any information in the end, sits at the back of his head heavily.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Second of all, I am SO sorry  
> I will reply to comments by tonight, so excited to hear from you  
> Thank you so much for reading.


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